Cinnamon, orange and plum pudding with whisky custard

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. First make the plum compote. Place the plums, butter, sugar, orange zest and juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring gently.

3. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for a further 8-10 minutes or until the plums are just soft. Set aside to cool.

4. While the compote is cooking, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, suet, cinnamon, salt and orange zest. Stir in just enough cold water to form a dough.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 30cm x 30cm. Transfer the pastry onto a sheet of non-stick baking parchment.

6. Pile the plum compote onto half of the suet pastry, wet the pastry edges and fold the pastry over to encase the compote. Carefully place the pudding with the baking parchment onto a baking sheet.

7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and brown.

8. To make the whisky custard heat the milk, cream and orange zest in a heavy-based saucepan and bring it up to a slow boil.

9. Meanwhile in a bowl beat the sugar and egg yolks together until pale.

10. Pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs and combine well. Return the mixture to a clean heavy-based saucepan and slowly bring up to a simmer, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the spoon. Take great care not to let the milk mixture boil or it will curdle. Stir in the whisky.

11. To serve, using the non-stick baking parchment to help you, transfer the pudding to a large serving dish. Dust with the icing sugar and cinnamon and serve warm with the whisky custard.