Christmas pudding recipe
I used to have a recipe and I lost it, so every year I sort of mock it up from memory and other folks' recipes. This year I'm writing it down so I don't have to waste time hunting.
Christmas pudding
Mix together in a large container (I use my lobster pot)
500g of mixed dried fruit (90g raisins, 90g sultanas, 270g currants and 50g candied citrus peel is my standard traditional base mix but if you want you can reduce those and add other chopped dried fruits - apricots, candied ginger, cherries, cranberries, dates, figs, apple, mango - whatever floats your boat)
50g slivered almonds
110g crustless soft white bread cut into small cubes
110g dried suet (beef or vegetable)
1/3 cup brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 clementine
Mix these then add to the above mixture
50g self-raising flour
1 TB mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
In a small saucepan put 1-2 TB black treacle. Warm until runny, remove from heat, cool a bit and mix in
2-3 TB spiced rum or brandy
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 clementine
2 beaten eggs
Add this treacle mixture to above mixture
Add 250-300ml or so of Guinness stout (or equivalent) to the pudding.
Stir and stir and stir and stir and make a wish whilst you stir. Everybody in the household stir and wish. Stir some more. Cover with a tea towel and let the mixture sit overnight or longer.
Grease 2 pudding bowls, spoon in the mixture, cover with greaseproof paper tied on with string, put bowls in saucepans with boiling water halfway up the sides and steam for 6 hours over low heat, adding water as necessary to keep from boiling dry.
Let it cool, then remove bowls from the saucepan, remove paper cover, feed with a TB or so of brandy or spiced rum, cover with a fresh paper cover tied on with string, and put on a shelf somewhere for the next 6 weeks. Every week, feed the pudding with a slug of rum or brandy, so it stays moist.
To serve, push a coin into the pudding with a butter knife, feed again with booze, cover as before and steam again for about 1-2 hours (I normally put the pudding on to steam just before we sit down to eat, and it times out well). Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Run a knife around the sides and then tip over and out onto a plate. Bring to table. Pour a glug of booze on it, then warm a large silver spoon full of booze over a candle. When it’s warm, turn off the lights, slightly tip the spoon so the flame lights the booze, then quickly pour the flaming booze over the pudding. Voila! Serve with brandy cream, brandy sauce, or brandy butter. And whoever gets the coin in their serving has good luck for the new year!