Orange and Almond Sponge With Butterscotch sauce and Pistachio Praline

As I always say warm desserts are comforting for all weather, that too in this climate, when the temperature drops less than -10 degrees, you really look for something hot sizzling and spicy and after that a warm dessert may be. This is a kind of dessert which you can whip up in minutes, then sit back and relax with your family. Try using your creativity to vary this dessert with some fresh fruits or different. Whatever flavour or fruit you use, a steamed sponge is something always special.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Makes 4

Ingredients:
For the sponge:
Plain flour- 60 g / 2 oz
Butter- 50 g / 2 oz
Brown Sugar- 60 g/ 2 oz
Baking Powder- 1/2 tsp
Ground Almonds( without skin)- 40 g/ just less than 2 oz
Grated zest of orange- 1 tsp
Eggs- 2
Freshly squeezed orange juice- 3 tbsp

Butterscotch sauce:
Butter- 1/2 tbsp
Brown sugar- 2 tbsp
Cream- 75 ml
Honey- 1 tbsp
Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp

Pistachio Praline:
Pistachio without shell- 1 tbsp
Brown sugar- 2 tbsp
Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Method:
For the Sponge:
Melt the butter and keep it separately. Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until it looks fluffy. Add the orange juice and zest, mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and almonds into the egg mixture. Fold gently without any lumps. Finally fold the butter into the mixture.
  Grease 4 ramekins with butter and dust it with flour. Pour the mixture equally into the ramekins. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Take a large tray, fill with boiling water and then place the ramekins inside that. Bake it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Note:
The cooking time might vary according to the size of the dish you are using.

For Butterscotch sauce:
Heat together butter, sugar and honey in a heavy based pan in medium to low heat. Once everything is melted completely, heat it for 2 to 3 minutes stirring continuously. Take it off from heat, add the extract and cream little by little, stirring continuously.

For Pistachio Praline:
Heat the pistachio, sugar and lemon juice in a pan, stirring continuously. When it reaches a consistency of 1 string consistency, take it off from heat and pour it in a baking parchment paper. After it hardens, bash it with a rolling pin to crumble into pieces.
Note:
To check the one string consistency, wet your hands with cold water. Take a small amount of syrup between your two fingers, when you press and release, you should see a small thread between your two fingers.

To Serve:
Place the sponge in individual serving plates, pour the warm sauce on top. Finally top it up with pistachio praline.
To enjoy the real taste of this dessert, serve while they are still warm

Note:
 You can replace brown sugar with caster sugar for sponge.
For the butterscotch sauce, you can use caster sugar and brown sugar mixed.
For the praline also you can replace with caster sugar.

This recipe goes to Champa's Bake off and Suma's event which comes along with lovely giveaway.