Speedy syrup sponge pudding

I used to love steamed syrup sponge pudding, and I remember the little pots from M&S that were a frequent indulgence when I was a grad student. But I've not had any for ages, as it's not a dessert you often see on menus, and it didn't occur to me to make it myself as things requiring steaming for hours always seem inherently complicated. Anyway, I was delighted when this feature appeared in the Guardian recently with a link to a microwaveable syrup sponge pudding recipe. Even though this cooking method wasn't wholeheartedly endorsed by Felicity Cloake, I decided to give it a go as the possibility of pudding in 7.5 minutes was just too good to ignore.

So this is the recipe- www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4062/gooey-school-treacle-sponge which I followed with one minor alteration; adding a little lemon juice to the golden syrup in the bottom of the bowl (as per Felicity's 'perfect' recipe). This just thins the syrup a bit, and allows it to run down and soak into the sponge. I'd also recommend setting the microwave at 5 minutes initially, rather the full 7.5, as my pudding was almost done at this point.

And the end result? A brilliant steamed syrup sponge pudding! The sponge was light and not too sweet, with a thick topping of unctuous golden syrup. And I served it with loads of cold double cream, which was perfect with the hot sponge and cut through the sweetness of the syrup too. This pudding is ridiculously easy to make, and I suspect it will be appearing on my table again rather soon.

Super-speedy Baileys cheesecake

I made this cheesecake the other day on a sort of trial run, but as it worked well I thought I'd write a quick post on it. There's nothing like a proper baked cheesecake, but if you fancy a speedier alternative then this could be it.
The base is made from pecan nuts and chocolate finger biscuits (a variation on something I saw the Hairy Bikers do on the telly recently- thanks Si and Dave), and the topping is simply some mascarpone cheese mixed with Baileys. A nice person bought me some hazelnut flavoured Baileys for Christmas, and it pretty much already tastes like a pudding in a glass so was ideal for using in this cheesecake. But you could of course use regular Baileys or another cream liqueur.

Recipe (enough for 4 individual servings):

40g unsalted or lightly salted butter, melted
12 chocolate fingers
50g pecan nuts, chopped quite finely
250g mascarpone cheese
6-10 tblsp hazelnut flavour Baileys cream liqueur
A very small amount of chocolate for grating on top (optional)

Crush the chocolate fingers (I put them in a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin), until they are in large crumbs. Mix with the chopped nuts and melted butter, and divide equally between four small ramekins. I lined a couple with clingfilm, so I could lift the set cheesecakes out, and used some pots suitable for eating straight out of for the other two. You may well have more matching cookware than me though. Push the base mixture firmly into the bottom of the ramekins, and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Next make up the topping by combining the Baileys with the mascarpone. Have a little taste, so that you achieve your favoured level of booziness. I think there's enough sweetness in the Baileys on its own, but do add a little icing sugar too if you want. Spoon the topping over the base and chill in the fridge for a few hours if you want it properly set, but even 30minutes should be enough if you really can't wait. Grate a little chocolate over the top when you're ready to eat them.

This isn't exactly a classic cheesecake, and the top is more of a mousse-like texture. But I really liked the chocolate biscuit and nutty base with the creamy top layer. And it was pretty much a doddle to put together.