I’ve had a slow-cooker for ages and, like most people, don’t make use of it nearly enough. It sits lonely in my kitchenette waiting patiently for its opportunity to shine. Last week, I saw a slow-cooker recipe for a cherry Bakewell pudding and decided to convert it into and almond and blueberry sponge pudding.
It’s a real no fuss, straightforward recipe. I swapped cherries for blueberries; however raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants or blackcurrants would work just as well.
I highly recommend these reusable silicone pot covers as a green alternative to cling film. They come in six graduated sizes from 3-8 inches so fit containers ranging from ramekins to medium-sized mixing bowls. I use them all the time for storing food in the fridge and heating things in the microwave. I’ve now discovered that they’re perfect as a slow-steaming pudding lid!
If like me you like a bit of a crispy texture, you can stick the pudding under the grill for a couple of minutes at the end of its cooking time.
We served our almond and blueberry sponge pudding with custard. The flavour combination of almond sponge and vanilla custard with a touch of fruity sharpness from the blueberries is a real winner.
Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest!
- 150g/5¼oz blueberries, frozen and thawed
- 115g/4oz sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
- 110g/4oz butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 75g/2⅔oz self-raising flour
- 75g/2⅔oz ground almonds
- 2 tbsp milk
- Grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin, including the lid if it has one In a small saucepan, heat the blueberrries and the 3 tablespoons of sugar until the sugar dissolves and the fruit begins to burst and the juice is released. Remove from the heat before the fruit collapses. Set aside
- Cream the butter and the remaining sugar together until light and fluffy
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is loose and airy
- Add the almond extract and combine
- Fold in the flour and ground almonds
- Add in the milk and combine gently. The batter should have a light texture
- Put 100g of the blueberries in the bottom of the basin and pour the batter over the top of them. It won't fill the basin, but don't worry as this will give it space to expand as it cooks. Reserve the remaining cherries until later
- Cover the basin securely with the lid and set it into the slow-cooker crock
- Pour boiling water into the crock to come halfway up the side of the basin
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and steam on high for about 4 hours. It will rise, becoming a light, fluffy sponge
- Turn the pudding out onto a plate, piling the reserved cherries on top, and allow the blueberry juice to drizzle down the sides of the pudding before spooning into servings
- Serve warm with hot custard