White Chocolate, Orange, Pistachio Vegan Puddings

This Christmas we enjoyed these lighter but equally sumptuous vegan alternative to traditional Christmas puddings. You can make them with dark chocolate instead of white chocolate. For advance preparation, these puddings can be frozen. Un-mould them when they are still warm and freeze them on a tray. Allow to defrost fully and warm through in the oven before serving.

White Chocolate, Orange, Pistachio Vegan Puddings

Dietary: Vegan

Serves 6 – makes 6 individual puddings

Ingredients:

• 100g vegan margarine
• 75g golden caster sugar
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 150ml dairy free yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• Zest and juice of ½ an orange
• 3 tbsp Cointreau/orange brandy
• ½ tsp cider vinegar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• Grating of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 80g fresh breadcrumbs
• 50g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g white chocolate, finely chopped
• Extra maple syrup and pistachios for decoration

Method

1. Grease 6 x150ml pudding bowls and place a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each pudding bowl.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160CFan.
3. Mix the dairy free yoghurt with the ground flax seeds, orange juice and zest, Cointreau and cider vinegar. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to allow the flax seeds to activate.
4. Cream the margarine, sugar and maple syrup together for a minute until light.
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices and pinch of salt.
6. Whisk the yoghurt mixture in with the creamed margarine and sugar.
7. Whisk in the sifted flour mixture until smooth, like a pancake batter.
8. Fold in the breadcrumbs, ground pistachios and almonds and the white chocolate.
9. Mix quickly until smooth, then spoon the mixture into the pudding bowls, until each is 3/4 full.
10. Bake the small pudding bowls for 20-30 minutes until puffed up and firm to the touch.
11. Turn out and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, orange cream and a sprinkling of pistachios.

Tips: To make orange cream mix dairy free yoghurt or cream with maple syrup and Cointreau to taste.