Sticky rhubarb pudding

A delicious old-fashioned dessert!

You’re likely to find variations of this recipe in traditional cookbooks from Canada’s maritime provinces as well as those from the United Kingdom. In the past, puddings like this were typically wrapped in cloth and steamed in a pot on the stove. This version is much simpler to prepare and is very delicious. Note that typically, the pudding’s topping is made with icing sugar, but I prefer the flavour and texture of brown sugar. If rhubarb isn’t your preference, you can use blueberries, or chopped plums, apples or peaches for the filling instead. I’ve scaled my recipe for four servings, but you can easily double or triple it as needed. If you like this traditional dessert, you might also enjoy my sticky toffee pudding cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (122 g) diced rhubarb
• 1/3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom or ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) milk or light cream
• 1/4 cup butter (56 g), melted and slightly cooled
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (55 g) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) hot water

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease the bottoms and sides of 4 six ounce (175 mL) ramekins. Place them in a baking pan with sides at least as high as the ramekins. Set aside.
• Divide the diced rhubarb evenly among the ramekins, placing it in the bottom of the prepared dishes.
• Make the batter by blending together the flour, granulated sugar., 1/4 teaspoon fo the cardamom or cinnamon plus baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla extract; stir the batter just until all ingredients are combined – don’t over mix.
• Pour the batter over the rhubarb, dividing it evenly among the ramekins. I like to use a muffin scoop for this step.
• Prepare the topping by blending the brown sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (or cinnamon) and cornstarch together; sprinkle over the batter in the ramekins, dividing evenly among the dishes.
• Gently pour the hot water over top (1 tablespoon / 15 mL per ramekin and do not stir it in.
• Add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, taking care not to splash water into the ramekins themselves. Carefully slide the roasting pan into the oven.
• Bake for 30 minutes until pudding is set. Remove pan from oven and remove ramekins from pan (canning tongs are helpful for this task). Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature, with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Serves 4.