Copper pudding pot in collaboration with Netherton Foundry

Win this specially designed copper pudding basin and my book Pride and Pudding!

I’m very excited to share with you that I’ve designed a copper pudding basin in collaboration with Netherton Foundry. If you don’t know Netherton Foundry yet, they are an artisan maker of extraordinary spun iron, cast iron and copper cookware from Shropshire, UK. Husband and wife team Neil and Sue have created a brand that makes the hearts of foodies skip a beat, their wares are practical, versatile, durable and they look beautiful. I’ve met Neil and Sue years ago online and we’ve been talking about collaborating ever since.

I talked to Neil about creating a pudding basin because I felt there was something missing in the pudding market, a durable non ceramic pudding basin that has little cutouts where the string can be fitted in when closing a basin with baking paper. I was thinking spun iron, but Neil, being so experienced suggested copper. It’s not just a material that perfectly manages the heat, copper is also traditional for the more decorative jelly moulds and basins and it can be immersed into water without hurting its fabric. The basin is tin-lined, just like the original historical ones.

This week Netherton Foundry is holding a competition so you can win a copper pudding basin (worth £ 142) and my book Pride and Pudding (Murdoch books)!

To win the competition you need to do this before 10 november:
If you have social media accounts, please do one or all of the following:
Follow @nethertonfoundry and @RegulaYsewijn on Twitter then find the pinned competition tweet on the Netherton Foundry page and retweet it.
OR find the competition post on Netherton Foundry Facebook and like it and the page and then share the post.
OR follow us on Instagram, find the competition on the Netherton Foundry insta and like it, comment and tag 2 friends

You do not have to be on social media to enter. In thay case answer these simple questions:

You might want to read the competition page over at Netherton Foundry here: www.netherton-foundry.co.uk/iron-casserole-tagine/pudding-pot
a) What does Regula’s surname, Ysewijn, mean?
b) What was the profession of Ambrose Crowle?
Finally you need to send the answers to competition@netherton-foundry.co.uk and remember to include your address
and… tell us who you are on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, if you use social media. Don’t forget to follow us for news and updates.
The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 10th November and we will announce the winner during the following week.
Check the @nethertonfoundry website for more information about the copper pudding basin – find the direct link in their profile.
I am so pleased to have worked on this with the lovely Neil and Sue from @nethertonfoundry. All of there superb spun iron, cast iron and copper cookware is produced by hand in Shropshire in their foundry. If you don’t know them yet, check them out.

So what to make in this pudding basin?

I’ve got a recipe here from Pride and Pudding!

Steamed Syrup Sponge Pudding

Makes 1 large pudding in a 16 cm (6 inch/No. 36) basin (mould)

• 150 g (5. oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 60 g (2. oz) shredded suet
• 50 g (1. oz) dark brown sugar
• 40 g (1. oz) golden syrup (light treacle) or maple syrup if you can’t find golden
• a super-tiny pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 egg
• 100 ml (3. fl oz) buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup, extra, for the basin

Method

Treacle sponge pudding

Preheat the oven to 180ÅãC (350ÅãF). Prepare the pudding basin for steaming.

Prep a pudding basin:

Generously grease the pudding basin (mould) with butter and cut a circle of baking paper the same size as the base of the pudding basin. Placethe paper circle in the basin; it will stick perfectly to the butter. This will make it easier to get the pudding out of the basin.

Now get yourself a pan large enough to hold your pudding basin(s).

Combine the flour, baking soda, suet and sugar together in a large bowl, then add the golden syrup, salt and allspice followed by the egg and the buttermilk. Mix well to combine.

Pour the extra 3 tablespoons of golden syrup into the prepared basin. Spoon the batter into the pudding basin, then cut another two circles of baking paper with a diameter about 8–10 cm (3.–4 inches) larger than the top of the basin. Make a narrow fold across the middle to leave room for the paper cover to expand slightly. I like to use two layers of paper. Tie securely around the top of the basin with kitchen string, then cover with foil and tie kitchen string to create a handle so it will be easier to lift the basin out of the pan after steaming.

Stand the pudding basin on an inverted heatproof saucer, a jam jar lid or trivet in the base of a deep ovenproof saucepan or pot.

Pour in boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pan, either with its own lid or with foil, in order to trap the steam. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 1. hours, checking after 1 hour and 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the pudding to see if it comes out clean.

When ready to serve, open the foil and loosen the side of the pudding with the tip of a knife, then turn the pudding out like a cake. Be careful, as hot water could have seeped into the foil and could run out, so wear oven mittens.

If it is not needed directly, freeze it in the basin and reheat it in the microwave after defrosting.

Serve with custard sauce