Ingredients

• 110g/4oz butter
• softened
• plus extra for greasing
• 110g/4oz caster sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• beaten
• 110g/4oz self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp milk
• salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 250ml/8¾fl oz milk
• 250ml/8¾fl oz double cream
• 100ml/3½fl oz perry
• 1 vanilla pod
• split
• 8 free-range egg yolks
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar

Directions

• In a clean bowl
• cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
• then gradually beat in the eggs one by one.
• Sift the flour and fold it into the creamed mixture with the milk
• salt and cinnamon.
• Grease a 1-litre/1¾-pint pudding basin and spoon in the golden syrup.
• Pour the batter mixture on top of the syrup and cover with buttered greaseproof and foil and tie with string. Place on a trivet in a large pot with water to steam. Steam for 1½ hours.
• While this is steaming make the perry custard.
• Heat the milk with the cream
• perry and vanilla pod and bring slowly to the boil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the yolks in a separate clean bowl with the heated cream mixture and add the sugar until well blended. As the egg yolks warm
• the cream will thicken to create custard. Keep stirring until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Once the sponge pudding has steamed
• turn it upside down on a plate and shake gently. Serve with the custard.