Christmas pudding is essentially a mince pie filling that met its full potential. The recipe starts of exactly the same, but then with a few little extras becomes the most delicious Christmas pudding.
Once you have made your own you will never go back to shop bought again. It’s actually pretty easy to make, but takes a long time to steam. It’s the perfect thing to make on a grey and miserable winter day. The kitchen will be warm and will smell beautiful.
Ingredients:
- 400g Dried mixed fruit
- 100g Suet
- 1tbsp Lemon juice
- 200g Bramley apple chopped
- 150g Dark brown sugar
- 2tsp Mixed spice
- A dash or 2 of brandy
- 100g Plain flour
- 125g Bread crumbs
- 1 Large egg
- 120ml milk
Method:
- First add the first 7 ingredients to a bowl and stir everything to combine together.
- Next whisk the egg and milk together in a jug to combine and set aside.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour and breadcrumbs.
- Now alternate the egg/milk mix and flour/bread mix into the fruit mix until everything comes together into a sticky batter.
- Generally a Christmas pudding is made up on Stir up Sunday and the tradition is to get everyone in the house to stir the pudding whilst making a wish. Stir up Sunday is the last Sunday before advent so we are a little late if you are making your pudding now, but don’t worry it will still taste great if you make it now.
- Taking your pudding basins, give them a good rub with butter to stop the pudding sticking.
- You can even add a small circle of greaseproof paper to the bottom of the basin to help it turn out nicely.
- Next spoon in the pudding mix into the basin.
- Pat it down so it has a smooth top and there are no air bubbles in the basin.
- Take a piece of tin foil and put a folded lip in the middle. Now cover the basin in the foil. The fold will allow for expansion during cooking.
- Wrap a piece of string around the foil under the lip of the basin and tie it nice and tightly. Now take the string and take it over the top of the basin and tie it off. this gives you a handle to lift it in and out of the water.
- Put a pan of water that is big enough to house the pudding basin on to boil and carefully put the pudding in. the water shouldn’t cover the pudding, just up to the lip of the basin.
- Cover with a lid and leave to steam on simmer for at least 4 hours. I usually give mine for 6 hours.
- Once cooked leave it to cool down and store in a cool dark place. Not a fridge, just a dark cupboard or pantry.
- When you are ready to eat your pudding at Christmas, just pop the whole thing back into boiling water and steam again for 1 hour.
- Perfect with cream, but you can also serve with brandy butter, ice cream or brandy sauce.
However you decide to serve it, I can guarantee its the best pudding you have ever tasted.
Merry Christmas
Sam x