Method

1. Fill a saucepan about half full with boiling water and bring it to a simmer over low heat.
2. Grease 2 x 125ml dariole moulds with either melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric beater, until pale and creamy.
4. Add the egg, beating well until it's combined.
5. Combine the flour and baking powder, then, alternately stir in the flour and milk until all ingredients are combined.
6. Spoon the mixture equally between the dariole moulds (small plastic, ceramic or aluminium bowls that come in a number of different sizes) and smooth the surfaces. (If you don't have any dariole moulds, small drinking cups work just as well - make sure they are heat proof).
7. Cover each mould with a piece of baking paper and a piece of aluminium foil and fold to make a wide pleat in the centre.
8. Tuck the edges of the foil around the mould so the top is sealed.
9. Lower the moulds into the saucepan and add enough boiling water to reach a third of the way up the sides of the moulds.
10. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer the puddings for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the pudding comes out clean. Add more boiling water if necessary.
11. When they're cooked, remove the moulds from the saucepan, set aside for a couple of minutes then turn onto serving plates and carefully remove the moulds.
12. Serve with accompanying sauces.

Variations

• Coconut & Lime - add 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut and 2-3 drops coconut extract to the mixture with the flour and milk. Sauce - to ½ cup cream, add zest and juice of 1 lime, along with 1 Tbsp sugar. Bring to the boil and serve over the hot pudding.
• Citrus & Poppy Seed Pudding - add the juice and zest of one orange or lemon and ½ tsp poppy seeds to the mixture at the same time as the flour and milk. Sauce - to ½ cup of freshly squeezed citrus juice add 3 Tbsp sugar and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens and reduces. Serve hot over the hot pudding.
• Brandy Alexander Chocolate Pudding - to the flour add 2 Tbsp cocoa powder. Sauce - in a saucepan melt 50g chocolate, ½ cup cream and 1 Tbsp brandy. Serve hot over the hot pudding.
• Strawberry Pudding - place 1 Tbsp of strawberry jam in the base of each mould, together with 1 Tbsp chopped fresh strawberries to the pudding mixture. Pour the pudding mixture on top of the jam in the mould. Serve with dollop of double cream. The jam will form a sauce over the pudding.
• Mixed Berry Pudding - add 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen berries to the pudding mixture just before placing in the moulds. Sauce - in a saucepan add ¼ cup berries and 1-2 Tbsp. sugar and heat till mixture thickens. Serve as is, or blend and serve as a puree or strain to make a coulis over hot puddings with dollop of double cream.
• Sticky Date Pudding - 1¼ cups dates, stones removed and chopped finely; 1 cup water, 1 tsp bicarb soda, 60g butter. Put dates and water into a medium saucepan, simmer gently until it becomes a thick paste. Add the butter, and beat. Beat in bicarb soda, sugar and egg mixture. Continue from step 5. Sauce - 1 quantity of Caramel Sauce.