Ginger and brandy puddings

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 with a baking tray inside. Lightly grease 6 x 120ml pudding dariole moulds with a little butter and line the bases with baking paper discs.
2. Put the stem ginger, syrup and brandy in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped but not completely smooth. To make the ginger sauce, spoon 120g of this mixture into a small pan, then stir in the 75g muscovado sugar, 50g butter, a pinch of salt and the 150ml double cream. Set aside.
3. Sift the flour, ground ginger, cloves and cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt together into a mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, beat the 75g butter and 100g muscovado sugar together with a pinch of salt until pale and slightly fluffy. Beat in the black treacle, then gradually beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture, the remaining chopped ginger mixture and 150ml warm water, then beat until smooth. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles slightly.
4. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared moulds, then bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile, stir the sauce ingredients over a low heat until smooth and heated through.
6. Turn out the puddings, running a knife around the inside of the moulds if they need help, onto 6 warmed plates. Spoon over some of the ginger sauce, then serve with extra cream poured over, if you like.