Oranges and Lemons: the rhyme and the pudding

[matgb]

K, this evening, I decided to make a steam pudding, and due to a rather dried out orange, it ended up being a lemon and orange steam pudding.

Which got us talking. amazing_holly isn't that familiar with the rhyme and, as is usual, miss_s_b seems to know a completely different version to me, which is again different to the ones I've found online (and neither of us can remember the exact lyrics we knew as a kid anyway).

I've found several online sources, best two seem to be Wikipedia and rhymes.org.uk, which also has the alternate London Bells nursery rhyme. However, none of these mention the Bell of St Stephen's, which Jennie swears blind was in the version she knew as a kid.

Can anyone else remember St Stephen's being mentioned? It's very likely it's not the Bell of St Stephen's (ie Big Ben) anyway, but...

Oh, wait, the pudding? You want a recipe? Oh go on then...

You need a mixing bowl and a 1 litre pyrex or microwaveable bowl. A microwave (natch) and some cling film. Ingredients:

• 4oz butter/baking fat, softened


• 4oz sugar


• 4oz self raising flour


• 2 eggs (beaten)


• 2 tablespooons any liquid (orange juice, lemon juice, water, coffee or pretty mucha nything will do)


• 2 tablespoons syrup (treacle, maple or my preferred, golden)

Put all the dry ingredients witht he fat in a mixing bowl, and mix together with hands until it's breadcrumby. Mix in the eggs, don't worry too much about mixing it smooth, it's not needed. Mix in the liquid--I used a lemon and an orange, both were slightly dried out)

Grease your pyrex bowl, then put the syrup in the bottom. Pour the batter in over the top. Cover with cling film, but put a fold over the top to allow for expansion--you want to trap all the steam, it's that that cooks it.

Put in the microwave on full power for 5-6 minutes (depending on microwave). Take out (I pick up the glass base tray), carefully remove clingfilm, put a serving plate on top and turn it over, be careful, it's hot.

Voila. You could serve it into individual bowls, but I just gave everyone a spoon. Easy.

If all your cooking equipment is clean and you've got a tidy kitchen, it should take about 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook. IF you're me, it'll take 30 minutes to prepare, including washing the brand new pyrex bowls we got half price in Sainsbury's yesterday. Because I managed to break three last year. No, I don't know how I managed it either.

Nom nom nom.

Comments

[karohemd]

Oh, I didn't know you could do this sort of thing in the microwave...

[matgb]

Oh yes. If you half the recipe, you can make a single portion one in a desert bowl (the larger white ones we have are perfect). You can even mess around with chocolate sauces and similar, but that's fussing.

Not as nice as steaming it traditionally, but steaming is a massive faf even if you've got a steamer.

[karohemd]

I'm just surprised that the flour does its thing in this short amount of time/heat. I might have to experiment...

[andrewhickey.info]

The version I knew is the one on Wikipedia, but with three, rather than five, farthings...

o_O

[drjon]

i remember "the Bell of St Stephen's" in the rhyme (not much else of it though, tttt). And i grew up in Australia (still there, too). mind you, it was a tiny little piece of England in Australia, but it were Australia none the less...

Re: o_O

[miss_s_b]

I couldn't remember what it was paired with.

Re: o_O

[djm4]

I've heard *a* version with it in, paired with something like 'Now we are even', but I can't work out where that would fit in the rhyme I know.

[el_staplador]

Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's;
You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St Martin's.
When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney.
I'm sure I don't know, says the big bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head -
Chip - chop - chip - chop -
The last - man's - dead.

I remember thre rhyme as

[rankersbo.wordpress.com]

Oranges and lemons ... St Clemen(t)s
You owe me 5 farthings ... St Martins
When will you pay me ... Old Bailey
When I am Rich ... shoreditch
When will that be ... (Hackney?)
I do not know said the great bell of Bow.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I remember The Bell Of St Stephen's being in the rhyme, which I specifically remember from 1984.

However, I can't find it in the text right now.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's not just me remembering this...

[(Anonymous)]

Good photographers will make it picturesque for us.

[angelil.livejournal.com]

version I know goes like this:

Oranges and lemons, said the bells of St Clements
I owe you five farthings, said the bells of St Martins
When will you pay me, said the bells of Old Bailey
When I am rich, said the bells of Shoreditch
When will that be? said the bells of Stepney
I'm sure I don't know, said the great bells of Bow

then comes the candles to light you to bed...that bit. No St Stephens there.