Plum Duff

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup breadcrumb, pressed down firmly
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice, heaping
• 1 1/2 cups sultanas and currants
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 125 g melted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk, to mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• essence of 1 lemons or the rind of a lemon, grated

Recipe

• 1 mix all dry ingredients except baking soda and make a well in the middle.
• 2 add golden syrup and melted butter.
• 3 dissolve baking soda in milk, add lemon rind or essence and mix together.
• 4 scald a pudding cloth and flour generously.
• 5 to do this you will need a piece of calico or a cotton tea towel at least 65cm in diameter.
• 6 scald the cloth in boiling water then wring out and lay cloth out on a flat surface.
• 7 sprinkle both sides lightly with flour.
• 8 place the cloth over a large bowl and push it into the bowl from the center to form a lining.
• 9 or you can use a greased pudding basin.
• 10 add mixture, then tie up the cloth but not too tightly.
• 11 have a pot of water boiling and place a plate, such as a saucer, upended in the bottom to keep the pudding off the base of the pot and add the pudding.
• 12 boil for 3 hours.
• 13 the flour on the cloth should give pudding a lovely thick skin.
• 14 this plum duff is delicious with custard or cream.