Food: Saucy plum pudding
Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden on the surface, with rich plummy juices lapping at the sides
SERVES 6
FRUIT & SPONGE
600g red or purple plums stoned and cut into wedges
150g self-raising flour
50g golden caster sugar plus a little for sprinkling
80g unsalted butter chilled and diced
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 medium egg
100ml milk
SAUCE
80g light muscovado sugar
25g unsalted butter
¼ tsp fine sea salt
juice of ½ lemon
TO SERVE
vanilla ice cream
★ Select a shallow 1.5 litre ovenproof dish (for example a 30cm oval gratin dish). Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Arrange the sliced plums evenly in the dish. For the sponge, place the flour, sugar, butter and lemon zest in a food processor and whiz to crumbs, then add the egg and the milk and combine. Smooth the sponge mixture in a thin layer on top of the plums, which will show through. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and pour this over the pudding. Sprinkle over a little extra sugar and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden on the surface, with rich plummy juices lapping at the sides. Serve 10-15 minutes out of the oven, with ice cream.