Slow Cooker Steamed Lemon Pudding

It's not unusual that the weather has an effect on what people want to eat. I, personally wouldn't go about gulping down gazpacho and icy lemon sorbet on a cold day. So when I nipped into the garden to round up the felines, noticed a proper ground frost and truly felt wintery, I immediately wanted something warming, something verging on comforting.

A quick kitchen survey and a root through a good cookbook left me with this steamed lemon pudding, conveniently done in a slow cooker.

Based on a recipe from this book

Ingredients
3tbsp honey
65gr soft unsalted butter
65gr caster sugar
1 egg
100gr self raising flour
Zest of 1 lemon
2tbsp milk
Pinch of fine table salt
1tbsp brandy

Method
1, In a 1.3lb/600ml pudding basin, spray the inside of it with cake release spray or butter and then shake a little flour around inside it. Pour the honey into the bottom and set to one side.
2, Turn on your slow cooker to high and pour half an inch of boiling into the bottom.
3, In a mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, beat in the eggs and the gently fold in the flour.
4, Add the lemons zest, milk, salt and brandy and stir until you have a soft batter.
5, Pour the batter into your prepared pudding basin and cover with a sheet of parchment and a sheet of foil. Make a pleat in the top to allow for expansion and tie with string.
6, Put this into the slow cooker and pour in more boiling water until it comes to halfway up the side of the pudding basin.
7, Secure the lid and forget about it for two and a half hours. You don't need to check on the water levels unlike the traditional steaming methods as the slow cooker will keep it all self contained.
8, Check the pudding is cooked by inserting skewer and checking it comes out clean. Invert onto a plate and serve hot