Ingredients
8oz/225g seedless raisins
8oz/225g currants
8oz/225g sultanas
3oz/75g chopped dried pear
1oz/25g chopped dried pineapple
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
8oz/225g fresh white breadcrumbs
3oz/75g plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
¼tsp salt
8oz/225g shredded suet
8oz/225g soft light brown sugar
a dash of angostura bitters
4 large eggs - beaten
2fl oz/55ml dark rum
2fl oz/55ml calvados
3fl oz/75ml milk
1 sterilised penny

Method
1. Lightly grease a 2¾ pint/1.6 litre pudding basin and line the base with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Put the raisins, currants and sultanas in a large mixing bowl with the dried pear and pineapple, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, flour, mixed spice, salt, suet and sugar. Stir to mix.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, a dash of the angostura bitters, rum, the calvados and milk. Add to the fruit mixture and stir well. At this stage add the sterilised penny and take turns in the family to stir the pudding and make a wish.
4. Spoon into the pudding basin and press down well. Cover the surface with a disc of greaseproof paper. Cover the whole basin with some more paper and foil, making a pleat in the centre to allow for expansion during cooking. Secure with some string.
5. Place the pudding basin into a large saucepan and pour enough boiling water in to come halfway up the basin.
6. Now bring up to the boil, cover the pan and boil steadily for 5 hours making sure the saucepan doesn t boil dry. Top up with boiling water only.
7. Once cooked, remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Re-cover with some fresh greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a cool, dark place for four weeks, or even longer.
8. To reheat on the day, steam the pudding for 2 hours as before.
9. To serve, turn out onto a warmed serving dish. Warm some rum in a pan, and set it alight with a match. Pour this over the pudding and decorate with holly.