Thursday, June 01, 2006

Jihva #2: Strawberries

This month's Jihva is being hosted by Baking Fairy and it's theme is Strawberries. The best strawberries are those you pick yourself with their flesh still warm from the sun as you bite into them - but as it's the start of winter today, I'll be using strawberry jam in this recipe. Unfortunately, the fresh strawberries may look good, plumb and red, but they have no taste. To make these puddings a little more special I've added saffron syrup - it has real affinity with strawberries.

pudding

Steamed Strawberry Puddings

50g softened butter
50g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon saffron syrup (substitute with vanilla extract)
125g self-raising flour, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
Strawberry Jam
Saffron Crème Anglaise, to serve (recipe follows)

Butter 4 moulds and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Spoon in a tablespoon of strawberry jam, ensuring that the base is well covered. Set aside while you make the batter.

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Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add the eggs and saffron syrup, ensuring it's well incorporated. Fold in the sifted flour and milk, a tablespoon at a time. You might need to add extra milk if the mixture seems too thick - you should be able to drop it into the moulds.

Each mould should be filled about three-quarters full. Cover each mould with baking paper and then seal over with foil. Place in a steamer basket and set over boiling water - steam for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has risen and set.

Run a spatula knife around the mould and then turn out onto your serving bowl. Spoon around with heated Saffron Crème Anglaise and serve.

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Saffron Crème Anglaise

1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
1 teaspoon saffron syrup (substitute with vanilla extract/vanilla bean paste)

Beat the yolks with sugar until thick and creamy.
Heat the milk and saffron syrup then whisk into the creamed yolk/sugar mix.
Return this to the saucepan and stir over a low heat until it thickens.
Serve this hot or cold.

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7 comments

  1. Well they look absolutley srumptious!

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  2. Thanks Ange - they were gobbled up very quickly.

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  3. A very interesting recipe. Saffron creme anglaise is very impressive !!!

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  4. Thanks Archanat - a little bit of saffron went a long way and just made it a little more special.

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  5. Hi. I guess this is a quite late, I just found your blog.... Anyway, if you hadn't used strawberry jam, how would you have gone about making this? I'm thinking warming up the strawberries in a light syrup so that they whither a bit. But what would you do?

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  6. Hi Anon - In strawberry season I would probably make a quick strawberry jam with sugar, water and diced strawberries, probably 2 parts sugar to water. Cook it for about 10 minutes to get some reduction in the syrup and colour from the berries. Then I'd just continue on with the recipe. Hope that helps!

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  7. Hi, Yes, that is what I was thinking of. But I wouldn't cook it all the way to jam. Thanks, I'm def going to try this recipe.... this weekend! :o)

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