Christmas pudding

Recipe

Serves: makes 2 x 1.2 litre/2 pint puddings

Cooking and preparation

• Preparations time: 25 minutes (plus overnight steeping)
• Cooking time: 4 hours

Ingredients

• You'll need two 1.2-litre pudding basins
• 900g/2lb mixed dried fruits, such as figs, apricots, sour cherries, raisins, dates, cranberries or sultanas
• 150ml/5fl oz brandy or whisky
• 1 large orange, zest and juice
• 225g/8oz butter, softened, plus extra, melted, for greasing
• 225g/8oz dark brown sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 110g/4oz self-raising flour
• 110g/4oz fresh breadcrumbs
• 85g/3oz chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or pecans)
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 heaped tsp cinnamon

• To serve

• brandy, for flaming
• fresh cherries
• custard, thick cream or ice cream

Method

1. Place the dried fruit in a large bowl (cut up any large pieces of apricot or fig so that all fruit pieces are about the same size). Pour over the brandy or whisky.

2. Grate the zest of the orange and add to the bowl of fruit.

3. Juice the orange and pour the juice over the fruit. Mix the fruit and juice together well. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.

4. The next day, lightly butter two 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basins with the melted butter and place a disc of parchment paper into the base of each.

5. In a very large mixing bowl cream together the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer (this will take about five minutes).

6. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, incorporating each addition into the batter before adding the next. If the mixture curdles, just add a spoonful of flour.

7. When all the eggs are mixed in, add the soaked fruit with all their juice and stir well.

8. Add the flour and the breadcrumbs to the mixture.

9. Add the nuts and spices and mix gently until well combined. The mixture should be of dropping consistency.

10. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basins and cover with a double piece of parchment paper and a single piece of foil. Tie with string.

11. Prepare a steamer and steam the puddings for four hours. You can eat the puddings at this stage, or you can cool them completely and store them, in their basins, for 2-3 months, in a cool dark place, re-steaming them for two hours before serving.

12. Carefully remove the puddings from the basins and turn out onto a plate.

13. Garnish the top of the puddings with cherries. Carefully flame the brandy and pour over the puddings.

14. Garnish each serving with a few extra cherries and serve with custard, thick cream or ice cream.

Step by step

1. 

   Step 1

   Place the dried fruit in a large bowl (cut up any large pieces of apricot or fig so that all fruit pieces are about the same size). Pour over the brandy or whisky.
2. 

   Step 2

   Grate the zest of the orange and add to the bowl of fruit.
3. 

   Step 3

   Juice the orange and pour the juice over the fruit. Mix the fruit and juice together well. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.
4. 

   Step 4

   The next day, lightly butter two 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basins with the melted butter and place a disc of parchment paper into the base of each.
5. 

   Step 5

   In a very large mixing bowl cream together the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer (this will take about five minutes).
6. 

   Step 6

   Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, incorporating each addition into the batter before adding the next. If the mixture curdles, just add a spoonful of flour.
7. 

   Step 7

   When all the eggs are mixed in, add the soaked fruit with all their juice and stir well.
8. 

   Step 8

   Add the flour and the breadcrumbs to the mixture.
9. 

   Step 9

   Add the nuts and spices and mix gently until well combined. The mixture should be of dropping consistency.
10. 

    Step 10

    Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basins and cover with a double piece of parchment paper and a single piece of foil. Tie with string.
11. 

    Step 11

    Prepare a steamer and steam the puddings for four hours. You can eat the puddings at this stage, or you can cool them completely and store them, in their basins, for 2-3 months, in a cool dark place, re-steaming them for two hours before serving.
12. 

    Step 12

    Carefully remove the puddings from the basins and turn out onto a plate.
13. 

    Step 13

    Garnish the top of the puddings with cherries. Carefully flame the brandy and pour over the puddings.
14. 

    Step 14

    Garnish each serving with a few extra cherries and serve with custard, thick cream or ice cream.