1. Place the honey in a 1 litre (1 quart) pudding basin and swirl it so that the honey coats the bottom half. Set aside.
2. Place breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, flour and baking powder. Add egg, milk and margarine and mix together to form a stiff cake-like mixture.
3. Place a quarter of the pudding mixture in the basin and arrange half the kumquat slices on top. Add half the remaining mixture and top with the remaining kumquat. Finish with the pudding mixture. Press down lightly to smooth the surface.
4. Bring a steamer or deep saucepan of water to a boil. Cover the pudding basin with aluminum foil and tie string around the rim. Use more string to make a handle. Place the basin in the steamer. The water should come halfway up the basin. Cover and steam for 1 3⁄4 hours, adding water as necessary.
5. About 20 minutes before serving, make the custard. Place the eggs, sugar and 4 tablespoons milk in a bowl and beat. Place the remaining milk in a saucepan and heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Pour the milk over the egg mixture, stirring, then strain it all back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon thinly. Do not allow to boil. Stir in the vanilla extract.
6. When the pudding is cooked, carefully remove the basin from the steamer. Remove the foil, place a plate over the top of the basin and invert it. Serve the steamed kumquat honey pudding hot with the custard.

PER SERVING

337 calories
10 g protein
8 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
110 mg cholesterol
57 g total carbohydrate
36 g sugars
4 g fibre
386 mg sodium

Milk provides calcium and phosphorus—both important for strong bones and teeth—as well as protein and many B vitamins.