Baked Apple Pudding

I LOVE Christmas pudding, but if it's not your cup of leaf tea then how about this cheeky pudding as an alternative? Sitting somewhere between an apple cake and treacle sponge it is beautiful both hot and cold and works so very well with all the familiar accompaniments. It's also very simple to prepare and can be made ready for the table in just over an hour. So if you're looking for a crowd pleasing recipe that's just a little different than the usual festive fayre, then why not have a little go at this one. 

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 50-55 Mins
125g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
125g Light Muscovado Sugar
2 Large Eggs
125g Plain Flour
1/2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon (Or more if you like it spicy)
125g Fat Raisins
1 Large Apple (Peeled)
2-3tbsp Golden Syrup

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a pudding tin (the one I use is around 16cm in diameter) and line the base with a little round disc of baking paper. Doing this makes it much easier to release the baked pudding from the tin later.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, then mix to a smooth and consistent batter. Fold through the big fat raisins, then chop around 3/4 of the large apple into small cubes and again fold through. That's the pudding mixture made. So easy!

Drizzle the golden syrup into the base of the tin until covered, then thinly slice the remaining 1/4 of apple. Arrange in a pretty pattern on top of the syrup then cover with the pudding batter. Level the surface, then bake in the centre of the oven for around 50-55 minutes, until a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the pudding. When you are happy the pudding is baked remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes.

Run a flat bladed knife around the edge of the pudding, then turn out onto a heat-proof plate or dish. Drizzle with the remaining syrup and your work is done. :-)