Ingredients
Serves Makes 12 puddings250g currants
375ml (11/2 cups) port
1 tsp ground star anise*
150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra melted butter, to grease
165g (3/4 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
4 eggs
300g (2 cups) plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp Chinese five-spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Icing sugar, to dust
Sliced crystallised ginger, to serve
Ginger Crème Anglaise
4 egg yolks
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) pouring cream
250ml (1 cup) milk
1 tsp ground ginger
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
Method
These puddings can be made a day ahead. Store covered in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 1 minute.
1. Place currants, port and star anise in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until currants are soft. Cool.
2. Meanwhile, grease 12 x 150ml dariole moulds with melted butter. Line the bases with baking paper.
3. Preheat oven to 160˚C. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick and pale. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Sift over flour with baking powder, five-spice and cinnamon, then stir until just combined. Add currant mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into moulds and level.
4. Place puddings in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the side of moulds. Cover pan loosely with foil and bake puddings for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes before turning out.
5. Meanwhile, to make crème anglaise, whisk yolks with sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Place cream, milk, ginger and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat and bring almost to the boil. Whisking continuously, gradually add milk mixture to yolk mixture.
6. Return mixture to the pan. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, for 8 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (don’t boil). Strain through a sieve, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Makes 2 cups.
7. Dust puddings with icing sugar. Serve with crème anglaise and ginger.
*Available from Herbie’s Spices: www.herbies.com.au