The Christmas pudding

Preparation 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.

   Technique: Zesting citrus fruit

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.

   Technique: Steaming a pudding

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.

Less than 30 mins preparation time

Over 2 hours cooking time

Serves 8-10