Adam Liaw’s brown sugar pudding

This is a riff on a Canadian classic that is often made with maple syrup, though this brown sugar version is much more affordable.

To make the brown sugar syrup, combine the sugar and 375ml of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then stir through the butter and vanilla.

For the pudding, mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the cold butter, rubbing to form coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and fold in the milk and vanilla to form a lumpy batter.

Heat the oven to 190C fan-forced (200C conventional). Grease a round, 24cm ceramic baking dish (or similar, with a capacity of 2.5 litres). Transfer the batter to the base. Chill for at least 30 minutes, then pour the syrup over it and bake for 30 minutes until the surface is golden and the batter cooked through. Stand for 10 minutes. Serve with cream or ice-cream.

Adam’s tip: The Canadian classic pouding chômeur became popular in the Great Depression and literally means “unemployed man’s pudding”.

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