It's steaming hot here!

So it’s that time of the month, Daring Bakers' time!

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet*.

* I could't find suet here so I've used one of the alternatives: lard.

I’ve done a few steamed cakes before, but in one of those special ovens that have that option. In a restaurant I used to do a chestnut steamed cake that was to die for. But steaming a cake like this (in a pan) it was something new to me. I went with the sponge type recipe provided and did 2 flavors: Hazelnut-Nutella and Peanut Butter Cup. And just for fun I also steamed a Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Here are some step-by-step pictures and the recipes I’ve used:

My pan ready to steam, with my homemade steamer: a round cooling rack. I’ve used small containers, first because they are cute and second because they take less time to cook (that means less waiting time to eat).

This is my "Peanut Butter Cup" inspired steamed cake. It doesn’t contain actual Peanut butter cups, but it’s like a giant one: a chocolate sponge with a peanut butter filling. Yum!

Steamed “Peanut Butter Cup” Pudding

• (100 grams/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• (1/4 teaspoon) salt
• (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
• (100 grams/4 ounces) vanilla cake crumbs
• (75 grams/3 ounces) caster sugar
• (75 grams/ 3 ounces) lard
• (1) large egg
• (6 to 8 tablespoons) Cold milk
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup peanut butter

Sift flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder into bowl. Add cake crumbs, sugar and lard. Mix to a soft batter with beaten egg and milk. Turn half the batter into a buttered 1 litre/ 2pint pudding basin. Add the peanut butter in the middle and top with the rest of the batter. Cover securely with buttered greaseproof paper or aluminum foil. Steam steadily for 2.5 to 3 hours (mine took less time because I’ve used smaller containers). Turn out onto warm plate, Serve with sweet sauce to taste such as custard, caramel or a sweetened fruit sauce.

Let's peek inside?

Do you like the look of this one? Or do you think you'll like the Hazelnut-Nutella best?

Nutella. Enough said.

Steamed Hazelnut-Nutella Pudding

• (100 grams/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• (1/4 teaspoon) salt
• (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
• (100 grams/4 ounces) toasted, skinned and grinded hazelnuts
• (75 grams/3 ounces) caster sugar
• (75 grams/ 3 ounces) lard
• (1) large egg
• (6 to 8 tablespoons) cold milk
• 2/3 cup Nutella

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into bowl. Add hazelnuts, sugar and lard. Mix to a soft batter with beaten egg and milk. Turn half of the batter into a buttered 1 litre/ 2pint pudding basin. Add the Nutella in the middle and cover with the rest of the batter. Cover securely with buttered greaseproof paper or aluminum foil. Steam steadily for 2.5 to 3 hours (mine took less time because I’ve used smaller containers). Turn out onto warm plate, Serve with sweet sauce to taste such as custard, caramel or a sweetened fruit sauce (I didn’t serve with any sauce because the Nutella inside was enough).

Yep, that's good stuff.

Last, but definitely not least. Here’s a chocolate chip cookie that I also decided to steam last minute, from dough that I had frozen. Unfortunately I only had space to do one single cookie and I kind of regret that… It was quite interesting. It obviously didn’t have the crunchiness I love, but it was moist, cakey and chewy.

I don’t know if it was all this steaming yesterday, but today it’s steaming hot here! I leave you with the cookie and I’m off to the beach!