Warming the cockles

Yesterday, with temperatures steadily dropping to below freezing, I thought it was time to start looking at some recipes to warm up the days and nights, the hands and the cockles.

My favourite drink and pud came straight to mind: Mulled Wine and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Both have their own winter-warmer qualities; warming spices in the wine, rib-sticking rich pud with dates and toffee sauce.

However, my mind kept wandering through recipes of old; Beef Stew with Dumplings, steaming-hot (Chunky Vegetable) Soup, piping-hot Pies, Hot Chocolate, Devil's Coffee (if you ask me really nicely, I might just share the recipe for this). But none of them really hit the spot. And my mind kept returning to the wine and pudding. This was going nowhere, fast. My mind does that sometimes, getting fixated on something that is absolutely no use to anyone.

It was getting ridiculous though; "What's for tea tonight?" "Sticky Toffee Pudding." "Really?" "That, or Mulled Wine." "Great. I opt for the wine." It just would not leave me alone. But I knew that I didn't fancy either of them. Those two didn't hit the spot either. We ended up having Spaghetti Carbonara. Not quite warming the cockles but it was very tasty. And yes, it is our go-to meal if we cannot decide on tea...

This morning, however, the thought of wine and pudding was still not leaving me alone and I decided to follow the train of thought my brain was taking. It turned out that in the back of my mind doors were being opened and shut and my brain was coming up with all sorts of recipes that were being dismissed instantaneously. Until it found one it liked. Am I the only one who's brain does that? Thinking of things on its own accord? Without even asking if this appropriate? But I (or my brain, rather) have come up with some brilliant recipes this way. And so, this morning I gave in and did as my brain asked me to do: I made Sticky Mulled Wine Pudding... Okay, that name needs some work but it does say exactly what it is. Sticky Pudding with Mulled Wine. And, it might not have the best of names, it was totally scrumptious. Laugh at me all you like, I will share this recipe with you in the hope that you will see past the name and try it.

Sticky Mulled Wine Pudding

Ingredients:
For the cake:

• 100 gram light brown muscovado sugar
• 175 gram self-raising flour
• 125 millilitre cold Mulled Wine
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50 gram unsalted butter (melted)
• 200 gram dried cranberries

For the sauce:

• 150 gram dark brown muscovado sugar
• approx. 35 gram unsalted butter (in little blobs)
• 500 millilitre Mulled Wine, brought to a simmer

Method:
For the Sticky Mulled Wine Pudding:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C
2. Butter a 1½ litre capacity pudding dish

For the cake:

1. Combine the light brown muscovado sugar with the flour in a large bowl
2. Pour the wine into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring - just with a wooden spoon - to combine
3. Fold in the cranberries
4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pudding dish
• Don't worry if it doesn't look very full: it will do by the time it cooks

For the sauce:

1. Sprinkle the dark muscovado sugar on top of the batter and dot with the butter
2. Pour over the simmering wine (yes really!) and transfer to the oven

For the Sticky Mulled Wine Pudding:

1. Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more
• The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it's cooked; underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce

Variations:

• This will work equally well with mulled fruit juice, but you might want to use less sugar in that case
• For extra crunch, try adding a handful of roughly chopped pecan nuts to the batter
• For a pretty, pink-purplish sauce try using soft white sugar
• Use the same soft white sugar in the pudding for a light-coloured pudding
• You can make the pudding in advance and prepare an icing from icing sugar and a little mulled wine
• Decorate the 'cake' as desired with the icing

Once you've stopped laughing,

Enjoy