Microwave butterscotch pudding

Some years ago, Peg Kerr posted her go-to comfort food: microwave chocolate cake. Properly what the British and Commonwealth countries (at least this one) would call a pudding, it's what I grew up knowing as a self-saucing pudding. There were several flavours available in packet mix form that I remember having as a child: chocolate, butterscotch, and I'm pretty sure we had a lemon one at some stage, too.

Where Peg's differs from those packet mixes, though, is that it's designed to be a single-serve treat.

Tonight I'm far too tired to cook. I made pasta for dinner, but then I was still hungry and hankering after something sweet, and all we have in the house is 'ingredients'. So I decided to have a go at making a butterscotch microwave pudding, based in part on Pegg's original recipe. Usually I halve her chocolate pudding recipe and make it in a mug, but I'll give the direct bowl equivalent first, and then a handy cup version at the end, so no-one winds up making twice as much as they mean to because they forget to halve, e.g., the sugar. (I'm currently on pain relievers for muscle spasm, and they've left me rather woolly-headed.)

Bowl version:

Mix together in a microwave-safe bowl:

1/4 c flour

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tsp golden syrup

1/2 tsp baking powder

handful oats (opt)

Stir until smooth:

1 tsp oil

dash vanilla

2 tB milk/water

sprinkle on top:

1/4 c packed brown sugar* (see note)

mix 2 tsp golden syrup with 1/2 cup boiling water. Pour over mixture and microwave on medium high for about 4 minutes.

Cup version:

Mix together in a microwave-safe bowl:

2 tB flour

2 tB brown sugar

1 tsp golden syrup

1/4 tsp baking powder

small handful oats (opt)

Stir until smooth:

1/2 tsp oil

dash vanilla

1 tB milk/water

sprinkle on top:

2 tB packed brown sugar* (see note)

mix 1 tsp golden syrup with 1/4 cup boiling water. Pour over mixture and microwave for about 3 minutes (I'm guessing; keep an eye on it. I meant to make this amount and accidentally doubled it.)

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Notes:

Everyone knows that self-saucing puddings are served with vanilla icecream, so it hardly seems worth it to suggest that. I can point you to an awesome vegan icecream blog if you need recipes, otherwise SoGood does fine for me (shame I finished the last of the tub earlier in the evening, and am yet to have the energy to make a fresh batch).

I used wholemeal flour, as I always do, though you could use white flour (if you must). A gluten-free flour would probably substitute just fine.

The cake seems just right to me: not too sweet. The sauce, though... I think there's a little too much. Maybe cut back on the amount of packed sugar sprinkled on top? I'd try 3 tB for the full version, and about 1 1/2 tB for the cup version, and probably reduce the hot water by a smidge (say a tB or two).

No photos for you, tonight. I'm tired and my camera and I have not been on speaking terms for a bit (I lost the memory card). Also, it's cake in a cup. Nobody needs photographic urging to make that.