Here is a simple steamed pudding sauce to which you can add all sorts of flavourings – grated lemon, lime or orange rinds, brandy, sweet sherry, almond essence, vanilla essence and so on.

For an economical chocolate version, mix 1 tablespoon cocoa powder with the cornflour before cooking and add some plain chocolate, broken in pieces.

You can make this useful sauce in advance, then just gently reheat it when ready to serve.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with a little milk from 300 ml (½ pint). Bring the remaining milk to the boil with 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar. Pour the hot milk on to the cornflour paste, beating well, then return to the heat, stirring, until thickened.