This is one of my special recipes. Over 50 years ago (I am 81), I was teaching at Girls High School in Salisbury (now Harare) and once a week people from various faiths would come to the school to give religious instruction. The Rabbi's wife, Mrs Konviser, gave me this recipe for a winter steamed pudding, but I make it as a Christmas pudding.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

200g cake flour

5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

2.5ml ( tsp) ground ginger

2.5ml ( tsp) cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

125g butter

100g ( cup) sugar

1 large egg, beaten

5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

15ml (1 tbsp) hot milk or hot water

15ml (1 tbsp) apricot jam

250ml (1 cup) mixed dried fruit

30ml (2 tbsp) nuts (not peanuts)

Sauce:

125ml ( cup) semi-sweet wine

250ml (1 cup) hot water

200g (1 cup) sugar

Pinch of salt

Method:

Sift the flour, spices, cocoa and salt together. Rub in the butter. Mix in the sugar and egg. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot water or milk. Make a well in the batter and pour the dissolved bicarb mixture in. Work in gradually. Mix in the jam, fruit and nuts.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour sauce into an ungreased heatproof bowl. Spoon batter on top. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper, tying string tightly around to seal. Place in a pot of boiling water, enough to come halfway up sides of the bowl. Cover and steam for2 hours, adding water when necessary.

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