serves 6 ingredients

50g/2oz butter                                     2 teaspoons baking powder

100g/4oz caster sugar                         pinch of salt

2 eggs                                                   2 tablespoons milk

175g/6oz plain flour                            4 tablespoons golden syrup

• Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, and fold into the mixture, adding just enough milk to give a dropping consistency.

• Butter a 1.2-litre/2pt pudding basin, then pour the syrup into the bottom. Spoon in the batter to fill the basin. Cover the top with a round of buttered baking parchment, and secure pleated foil over that with string.

• Stand in a pan of simmering water with a lid on, and steam for 11⁄2 hours, topping up with boiling water when necessary. Invert the pudding onto a serving plate. Serve hot.