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Steamed Cherry Pudding

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on November 9, 2011

Time

3 hours

Yield

Serves 8

Steamed Cherry Pudding

Ingredients

Pudding

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for preparing dish1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing dish1 tablespoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup whole milk ½ teaspoon almond extract ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar 1 large egg ¼ cup light corn syrup 1 (14.5 ounce) can tart cherries, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved for sauce

Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Before You Begin

We love Pat Chandler’s recipe for Steamed Cherry Pudding, but we’ve added an easy final step to our version. Since the bottom of the pudding is still a little moist when turned out of the mold, we return the inverted pudding to the oven help it crisp up. You will need a round, oven-safe, 6-cup soufflé dish and a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. For the Pudding: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large soufflé dish (see note). Bring 6 cups water to boil in Dutch oven, then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk and extracts in measuring cup. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and corn syrup and mix until combined. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of milk mixture and beat on low speed, until combined. Scrape down bowl and repeat with remaining milk mixture and flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold cherries into batter, scrape batter into prepared dish, and smooth out surface.
  3. Place dish in Dutch oven (water should come halfway up dish), cover, and bake until skewer inserted in pudding comes out clean, about 2 hours. Carefully remove dish from Dutch oven and turn cooked pudding out onto oven-safe serving plate. Bake pudding on plate until top is dry to touch, about 15 minutes.
  4. For the Sauce: Whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of reserved cherry juice together in small bowl. Bring remaining cherry juice, sugar, and almond extract to boil in small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Serve alongside pudding.
Steamed Cherry Pudding

Steamed Cherry Pudding

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

3 hours

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

Pudding

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for preparing dish
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing dish
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 (14.5 ounce) can tart cherries, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved for sauce

Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract

Ingredients

Pudding

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for preparing dish
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing dish
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 (14.5 ounce) can tart cherries, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved for sauce

Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract

Ingredients

Pudding

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for preparing dish
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing dish
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 (14.5 ounce) can tart cherries, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved for sauce

Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract

Why This Recipe Works

For a modern take on a classic dessert, this Steamed Cherry Pudding recipe uses a duo of extracts—almond and vanilla. This Steamed Cherry Pudding recipe produces a dessert that looks impressive, but is actually easy and light.

Before You Begin

We love Pat Chandler’s recipe for Steamed Cherry Pudding, but we’ve added an easy final step to our version. Since the bottom of the pudding is still a little moist when turned out of the mold, we return the inverted pudding to the oven help it crisp up. You will need a round, oven-safe, 6-cup soufflé dish and a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. For the Pudding: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large soufflé dish (see note). Bring 6 cups water to boil in Dutch oven, then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk and extracts in measuring cup. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and corn syrup and mix until combined. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of milk mixture and beat on low speed, until combined. Scrape down bowl and repeat with remaining milk mixture and flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold cherries into batter, scrape batter into prepared dish, and smooth out surface.
  3. Place dish in Dutch oven (water should come halfway up dish), cover, and bake until skewer inserted in pudding comes out clean, about 2 hours. Carefully remove dish from Dutch oven and turn cooked pudding out onto oven-safe serving plate. Bake pudding on plate until top is dry to touch, about 15 minutes.
  4. For the Sauce: Whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of reserved cherry juice together in small bowl. Bring remaining cherry juice, sugar, and almond extract to boil in small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Serve alongside pudding.

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