Treacle Pudding

One of my favorite British foods I've learned about through the Harry Potter series is one of Harry's favorites as well:

"On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouthwatering treacle pudding"
(Chamber of Secrets 65).

This will be the third time I've used Dinah Bucholz' recipe for treacle pudding. While it is always delicious, the batter somehow manages to turn out slightly different every time. Oh well!

You Will Need:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup treacle (or light molasses)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup milk, at room temperature

1/2 cup golden syrup treacle (or light molasses), plus more for serving

I always forget that this recipe makes way more batter than will fit in the dish I use to make pudding. I highly recommend that unless your cookware is ENORMOUS that you halve this recipe.

1. Fill a large pot with water and place a shallow bowl or tall plate upside down inside the pot. I didn't have one that would fit, so I used the jam-jar-lid-as-a-trivet trick. Butter and flour a 2.5qt dish or glass bowl and its lid; set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and 1/3 cup treacle, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated.

3rd Egg

5. Add the lemon zest and juice (watch out for the seeds!) and beat until incorporated.

6. Scrape down the sides and add the flour and milk mixtures, alternating and mixing on the lowest speed until combined, and beginning and ending with the flour.

7. Pour the 1/2 cup treacle in the bottom of the prepared pudding dish. Scrape the batter unto the dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with the lid (I also covered the lid with foil just to be safe) and place it in the pot on top of your "trivet." Add water to the pot so that it comes halfway up the sides of your pudding dish.

8. Cover the pot and simmer for 2.5 hours. Check every so often to see if more water needs to be added (don't let it boil dry).

9. Remove the pudding from the pot. Remove the lid and invert the pudding onto a serving dish. Serve with warmed treacle.

This is such a delicious dessert (and the batter is dangerously delicious too!)! It's very sweet but also citrusy and seems very impressive when served (even though it's super easy to make!). Enjoy!