GRANNYS DOEKPOEDING-november 2004 BY KANYACILLA HUNT I have fond memories of my granny making this pudding for each and

every Christmas family feast. Enough for 12 generous servings 750g cake mix 250g pitted dates, finely chopped 125ml brandy 240g flour 5ml ground ginger 10ml ground mixed spice 1ml salt 200g butter, at room temperature 200g caramel sugar 3 jumbo eggs 5ml bicarbonate of soda 30ml apricot jam 5ml vanilla essence 60g breadcrumbs 100g pecan nuts, roughly chopped SAUCE 200g caramel sugar 500ml water zest of 1 lemon 3 star anise 3 cinnamon sticks 3 cardamom pods 1ml salt 30ml cornflour 125ml brandy 1 In a medium-sized airtight container, place the cake mix and the chopped dates. Pour over the brandy and mix thoroughly. Cover and stand in a cool place to ripen, at least 2 days. 2 Wet a clean piece of unbleached linen of about 60cm x 60cm and open it up. Paint the inside surface with melted butter and follow this with a good rub of flour. 3 Sift together the flour, ground ginger, mixed spice and salt. Sprinkle a handful of the sifted dry ingredients over the prepared fruit and stir to coat all of the fruit. 4 In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and caramel sugar. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Add about 4 tablespoons of the sifted dry ingredients and continue beating until light and fluffy and most of the sugar has dissolved. 5 Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the jam and add this bubbly mixture and the vanilla essence to the butter mixture. Mix well. 6 Fold the remaining dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Add the fruit mixture and mix thoroughly. If the batter is on the dry side, simply add a tablespoon or 2 of milk or brandy. 7 Spoon the batter on to the prepared cloth and tie securely at the top with string. Make sure the pudding has space to rise a fist between the pudding and the knot should suffice. 8 Put a small plate or bowl inside a large pot. Pour in boiling water so that the pudding will not come into direct contact with the water. Place the pudding carefully on top of the plate, put the lid on and steam for about 3 hours. Try not to lift the lid too often, but always make sure there is enough water in the pot.

9 For the sauce, use a medium-sized, heavy-based pot and combine the caramel sugar, water, zest, spices and salt. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Boil for about 5 minutes. Thicken the sauce with the cornflour mixed with a little water. Add the brandy at the very end. 10 Remove the warm pudding from the pot, untie and pour over the delicious sauce. Serve with custard or ice cream. COOKS TIPS I use two-day-old brown bread for the crumbs. Two slices are just about enough. Remember to prepare the fruit at least two days in advance to allow the fruit to ripen. Kanyacilla Hunt is well known for her gorgeous wedding cakes and trades as The Hunt House Kitchen. Call her on 082 375 5200.