Steamed Toffee Pud

May 10, 2020

Here’s the third in the steamed pud series. You may have noticed - I’ve fallen completely and hopelessly in love with steamed pudding recently. Where has it been all my life? And like many of us, I’m totally besotted with anything toffee flavoured too. But it’s taken a while on this zero/low sugar baking trip to learn to replicate the flavour.   Most natural sweeteners that I’m aware of, don’t caramelise when heated. This particular creation began its life as a baked toffee sponge but then recently, it started begging me to steam it. Who can blame it? It’s such a gorgeous way to cook a pudding.

I served this glorious pud still warm, covered in the rich toffee sauce, with a little cream on the side. Then I shared it with my trusty lockdown cake taster. He’s a serious sticky toffee pud afficionado and so his opinion on this beastie was especially sought. After he’d worked his way through the other half of the pudding, this is what he said …..”This is a very indulgent and delicious pud. Definitely rich and sweet enough but not heavy, with an authentic toffee taste”.

Well there you have it. It doesn’t sound too bad does it? But don’t just take his word for it. Give it a go and see for yourself. Steaming a pud is very easy, especially if you have a slow cooker.

There maybe one or two natural sweeteners in this recipe that are new to you – firstly, Yacon Syrup. This is such a versatile natural sweetener with a lovely caramel flavour and lots of goodness in it. I’ve also used a product I’ve recently discovered called Lakanto Maple Syrup, which is a great sweetener for your store cupboard if like me, you like toffee flavours. Finally – I’ve used a “brown sugar” version of the sugar alcohol sweetener erythritol. My local wholefood shop sells it so its probably easy enough to find. If you prefer to use the standard version instead, or birch xylitol, just add a little more caramel flavour to compensate.
For Lakanto Maple Syrup: https://mydiet-shop.co.uk/syrups/1005-lakanto-sugar-free-maple-flavored-syrup.html?search_query=lakanto+maple+flavoured+syrup&results=98
For Yacon Syrup: https://www.dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/of-the-earth-yacon-syrup-450g/83576/?ladid=uk&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtT1BRCiARIsAGlY51L964JUc_jWfOhdANTt0tOx3iCu-UiNbemRXGZjuBqUR3P-L9Rr978aAm9nEALw_wcB

(Serves 6)
FOR THE PUDDING PART
175g almond flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
100g cream cheese
100g butter
3 tbsp Erythritol (brown sugar replacement)
4 tsp Lakanto Maple Syrup  (or add more caramel essence)
10 drops caramel essence
Pinch salt

FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE BIT
5 tbsp yacon syrup
5 tbsp oil
4 tbsp nut butter
½ tsp miso
3 tsp Lakanto Maple Flavoured Syrup  (or more caramel essence)
10 drops caramel essence
50 ml soya or double cream.

For the Pudding:
Put almond flour in a bowl. Add salt and baking powder.  Mix well.
In another bowl whizz up the eggs, cream cheese and sweetener until light and frothy.
Stir in the melted butter plus caramel essence and maple flavoured syrup.
Add the dry ingredients and blend well.
Pour into a buttered pyrex dish.
Cover the  pudding bowl with baking paper, covered with foil. Tie securely and put a hole in the cover with a knife.
Got a slow cooker?
Stand the pudding bowl in the slow cooker pot and fill to halfway up the pudding bowl with cold water. Put the slow cooker on high and cook for 3 hours – or until a knife comes out middle of the pudding clean.
Not got a slow cooker?
Stand the pudding bowl on top of an up turned bowl inside a saucepan.
Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the pudding bowl.
Bring to the boil.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
Leave to steam for 2 hours. Top up with water if the water level gets too low. Check its cooked the same way with a knife in the middle of the pud.
When its ready turn out onto a plate

For the sauce:
Blend the yacon syrup, oil, nut butter and miso until smooth.
Slowly add the cream.