Mini Puddings with Sweetened Butter Recipe

Prep: 30 mins (plus standing time)
Cook: 1½ hours
Makes: 16

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups mixed dried fruit
½ cup orange juice
125 gm butter - chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup plain flour, plus extra for rubbing into cloth
¼ tsp baking soda
2 cups stale breadcrumbs
16 x 20cm square pieces of cotton
16 x 12cm lengths of string

For Sweetened butter (makes 1 cup)
200g unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup icing sugar

Cooking methods:

1) Combine mixed fruit and orange juice in a bowl; leave overnight in fridge. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in fruit, flour, baking soda and breadcrumbs.

2) Wearing rubber gloves, dip cloth pieces into just boiled water for 1 mm. Wring out, spread on table, sprinkle extra flour over and lightly rub it into each piece. Spoon ¼ cup of pudding mixture into the centre of the cloth. Gather cloth around pudding and tie string tightly. Repeat with remaining pudding mixture and cloths.

3) Lower puddings into a large pan of boiling water. Cover pan with lid; boil for 1½ hours, replenishing with hot water as needed.

4) Use an electric beater to beat butter with icing sugar until creamy. Remove puddings from pan, leave to cool and serve with sweet butter.