Spicy rhubarb upside-down pudding

There is something a bit special and mysterious about an upside-down pudding.  It is all about cooking it one way up and serving it the other.  That sound complicated, but it is actually very simple to tourn it over.

It can be made from many different fruits but this is a rhubarb version.  They can be made quite plain but this is a spicy version.  It is full of flavour.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 35 Mins

Total Time: 50 Mins

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

For the fruit

100 gms           Honey  - runny        

450 gms           Rhubarb  - cut into short lengths

¼                   Orange  - grated zest of          

For the sponge

100 gms           Butter       

100 gms           Sugar  - muscovado  

25 gms            Honey  - runny        

¼                   Orange  - grated zest of          

1 tsp               Allspice  - ground    

1 tsp               Cinnamon  - ground  

2                    Eggs         

50 gms            Almonds  - ground   

Method

Heat an oven to 180°C.

To prepare the fruit…

Grease a 20 cm diameter cake tin with butter.

Pour the honey into the cake tin and place the rhubarb pieces on top - packed tightly together.  Scatter the orange zest over it.

To prepare the sponge…

Beat together the butter, sugar, honey, remaining zest, allspice and cinnamon.  Beat in one egg at a time, each with 25g of ground almonds.  Fold in the flour and then spoon the mixture on to the rhubarb pieces and smooth it so it is evenly spread.

To cook and present the dish…

Bake the pudding in the oven for 5 minutes.  When cooked, a skewer will come out of the sponge clean.

Remove it from the oven and leave it to stand for 15 minutes.  Carefully turn it onto a plate and serve.

Serve With

          Crème fraîche

Wine recommendations

          A sweet wine made from the muscat grape.

  Conventional

           Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

  Interesting

           Monbazillac

           Moscato d'Asti

  Special

           Moscatel Sherry