Sago Plum Pudding

Pudding

• 1½ cups (375ml) milk
• 4 tbs sago
• 120g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 cup (160g) CSR Dark Brown Sugar, lightly packed
• 2 cups (210g) soft fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 cups mixed dried fruit or 375g packet mixed dried fruit
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp cold water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Brandy Cream

• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 tbs CSR Brown Sugar
• 2 tbs brandy

1. Combine milk and sago in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day, combine milk, sago and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 8 mins, stirring occasionally. The butter will melt and the sago swells and becomes clear. Cool.
2. Add dark brown sugar, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and nutmeg and mix. Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in cold water and add to fruit and breadcrumb mixture. Add beaten eggs and mix until combined.
3. Place a circle of buttered baking paper in the base of a generously greased, 6-cup pudding basin with butter. Spoon in pudding batter, packing it down firmly. Cover with a circle of buttered baking paper and two sheets of foil. Tie a double piece of kitchen string under the rim of the basin to secure foil. Tie a double piece of string loosely over the top of the basin to create a handle.
4. Pour enough water into a large saucepan to come halfway up side of pudding basin. Bring to boil and lower pudding into water. Cover and simmer for 5 hrs, adding more water when needed. Remove baking paper and foil, allow the pudding to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
5. For the Brandy Cream, beat cream and brown sugar in a small bowl with an electric beater until soft peaks form. Fold through brandy and serve with hot pudding.