Steamed Cranberry Pudding

There is, I think, nothing more comforting at the end of a meal than a pudding - especially on cold winter days.

Movita was looking for a variety of recipes the other day and it reminded me that mid autumn is when fresh Canadian cranberries appear on store shelves. And it's the time to make steamed cranberry pudding.
Cranberry pudding is dark, tart, and served with a light, creamy hot caramel sauce that offsets the tartness of the berries.
Until now, I've always used a greased and floured crock bowl, with a top made of greased brown paper tied in place with twine. Last Christmas, we chanced upon a real pudding mould and I am using it for the first time today.

The only downside to the mould is that it is quite high and I can only just get the cover of the stock pot closed in order to do the steaming. One of the best features is the tight fitting lid, with a ring in the centre that allows me to safely lift the mould in and out of the pot of hot water.

And three hours of steaming later:

Here's a wonderful website that covers the history of puddings - from rice, tapioca, and bread puddings to Spotted Dog, Roly Poly, custard, and that most British of desserts - Christmas or Plum Pudding.

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpuddings.html