125g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup dried diced apricots (Angus Park)

3/4 cup milk

1 & 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup water

1 Brush a 6 cup capacity pudding basin with melted butter. Place in refrigerator until firm. Brush again with melted butter and line base of basin with baking paper. This is to make sure that the cooked pudding will fall out easily. Put butter, sugar and vanilla in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

2 Add dried apricots and stir into butter mixture until well combined. Add milk and sifted flours, alternatively, folding gently through mixture, until well combined. Spoon into prepared pudding bowl and smooth top with a wetted spoon. Place a large piece of baking paper on top of a large piece of aluminium foil. Make a 3cm pleat in the middle down the length of the paper and foil. Place this over the pudding basin and secure well with string. This is important because if water gets into your basin it will become water logged.

3 Put a trivet or saucer, turned upside down, in the base of a large pot. Place the basin onto the trivet. Fill the pot with boiling water which comes 2/3rds of the way up the basin. Simmer the pudding for 2 hours. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly then invert onto a serving plate. Drizzle with jam sauce.

4 To make jam sauce: Place jam and water into a small pan. Stir over a low heat until simmering and well combined. Put mixture through a sieve until smooth.

Hint: Place a 10c or 20c coin in the base of the pot while water is simmering. You will hear a rattling sound while the pudding is cooking. If you sound stops it will mean that the water has dried out.