Domestic Gothess’ Vegan Maple Steamed Pudding with Maple Custard

For the maple steamed pudding:

• 100g vegan block butter/margarine
• 100g maple sugar
• 5 tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust taste)
• 150ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best)
• 45g unsweetened non-dairy yoghurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 215g self-raising flour
• 15g cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the maple custard:

• 25g cornflour (cornstarch)
• 300ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best)
• 200ml non-dairy cream (soy single cream)
• 80ml pure maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust taste)
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

To make the maple steamed pudding:

1. Start by thoroughly greasing a 1.2 litre pudding basin and place a disc of baking parchment in the bottom to prevent the top of the pudding from sticking then pour 3 tbsp of the maple syrup into the greased basin and set aside.
2. Put the kettle on and cut a large square of baking parchment and another of tin foil, make a pleat in the centre of each square which will give the pudding room to rise (If you have a pudding basin with a lid you can skip this step).
3. Place the vegan butter/dairy free margarine, maple or caster sugar and the remaining 2 tbsp of the maple syrup in a pan over a low heat and stir until melted.
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, yogurt and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour and bicarbonate of soda, then add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until no dry lumps remain.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared basin and spread it level. There should be a decent gap at the top to allow the pudding plenty of room to rise.
7. Place the baking parchment on top of the pudding basin with the pleat in the middle, followed by the tin foil, press the foil over the edge of the pudding basin.
8. Tie a length of string very tightly several times around the foil – there should be a lip on the pudding basin; tie the string just under that.
9. Tie a length of string across the top of the basin to make a handle, then trim off the excess foil and parchment, leaving at least a centimetre below the string. If your pudding basin has it’s own lid, skip the above and simply put the lid on, making sure it is tight.
10. Place a saucer upside down in a large saucepan with a lid and place the pudding basin on top and pour boiling water into the pan so that it comes about halfway up the pudding basin. Do not let the water touch the foil/baking parchment otherwise you may end up with a soggy pudding.
11. Put the lid on the pan and place over a low heat then cook at a gentle simmer for two hours, it will do the pudding no harm to let it cook for a while longer however, check after an hour to see if the water needs topping up but resist the urge to take the lid off the pan too often.
12. Once the pudding is done steaming, cut off the string and remove the tin foil and parchment and run a knife around the edge to loosen it then place a serving platter on top and flip it over, the pudding should drop out of the basin (you might need to give it a bit of a wiggle).
13. Serve the pudding right away with the maple custard, or with vanilla ice cream.

To make the maple custard:

1. To make the custard, place the cornflour in a saucepan and very gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time.
2. Stir in the cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Place the pan over a medium heat and stir constantly until it comes up to a simmer and thickens. Allow to simmer for a minute then remove from the heat and serve.
3. If you are making the custard in advance, pour it into a jug and place a piece of baking parchment directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool then refrigerate for up to three days.
4. The custard may become very thick as it cools, just give it a good whisk when you reheat it and it will thin out again.
5. If it is still too thick, stir in a little more non-dairy milk. If it is too thin, mix 2 tsp cornflour with 2 tsp milk, stir it in to the custard then cook for a couple of minutes while stirring until it thickens.