Ginger treacle sponge

Method

• step 1

  Butter a 1 litre pudding basin. Mix the breadcrumbs, golden syrup and ginger syrup and place in the bottom of the basin.

• step 2

  To prepare the steamer, put a small, upturned saucer or trivet into a large saucepan big enough to fit the pudding basin. Put the kettle on.

• step 3

  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla and lemon zest, then sieve the flour and ginger into the mixture. Fold everything together with a big spoon or spatula. Fill the pudding basin with the sponge mixture.

• step 4

  Cut out large sheets of greaseproof paper and foil, big enough to fit over the basin with a 2in overhang. Sit greaseproof on foil, fold a pleat into the middle, then butter the greaseproof. Put, butter-side down, over the pudding, and tie tightly under the rim with string. Sit the basin in the saucepan, add enough water from the kettle to come halfway up the basin sides, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1 hr 45 mins.

• step 5

  Meanwhile, candy your clementine slices by pouring 100ml water from the kettle over the sugar in a small frying pan. Heat until melted, then add the clementine slices and bubble until they are shiny and sticky with sugar. Lift out with tongs and set aside on baking parchment to dry.

• step 6

  Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a metal skewer – there should be no raw mixture on the skewer, but you may find a little sticky syrup from the bottom.

• step 7

  For the topping, put the syrups in a small pan and bubble to thicken for a few mins, then stir in the ginger chunks and a few clementine slices. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate and spoon over some syrupy ginger topping. Serve with crème fraîche and custard.