Fun stuff
Christmas pudding recipe
| Serves (Yield): | 2 Kg |
| Difficulty rating: | |
| Preparation time: | 10 mins |
| Cooking time: | 3.5-5 hours |
| Special equipment: | 2x1ltr or 1x2ltr pudding basin |
Planning ahead:
The pudding(s) can be made 4-6 months in advance if kept in a cool dark place.
Ingredients
| 250g | of each: raisins, currants, sultanas, brown breadcrumbs and brown sugar |
| 75g | nibbed almonds (chopped) |
| 1 | Bramley apple, cored and finely chopped |
| 1 | lemon, zest and juice |
| 1 | orange, zest and juice |
| 4 | eggs med, organic, beaten |
| 100g | candied peel, chopped |
| 50g | wholemeal flour |
| 1 tsp | Chinese five spice powder |
| 100ml | Armagnac (or rum/brandy) |
| 250g | vegetable suet |
Method
- Prepare your basin by greasing them well with extra butter, then lining the bottom with greaseproof paper.
- In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly.
- Fill the pudding basin to 1cm below the rim. Now cover with a circle of greaseproof paper followed by a larger piece of foil. Tie this around with a piece of string, but loosely so that there is room for the pudding to expand.
- Steam the larger pudding i.e. 2Ltr for 5 hours, the smaller ones i.e. 1Ltr for 3 ½ - 4 hours.
- If you do not have a steamer, cook the pudding on a wire rack in a pan of boiling water. Make sure the water boils constantly and top it up occasionally.
- Once cooled, remove the basin from the steamer and leave to cool. Remove the pudding from the basin, wrap well with clean greaseproof paper, and store in a cool place until needed.
Reheating and serving
Reheat the large pudding by steaming it for about 2 hours, 1 hour for the smaller ones. The longer you steam them, the darker they will become. Turn the pudding out on to a serving dish, then heat and flame a ladle of Armagnac, pour over the pudding and serve.