In my end of October blog, I told you about the Christmas Pudding recipe that I had tried to get from my grandmother. Well, this is my recipe, taken from many different cooks and chefs who have shared their knowledge online, with my own additions.
Ingredients
500g mixed dried fruit – sultanas, currents, raisins, prunes. Here in Spain, I use 375g of sultanas and 125g of prunes.
100g of mixed peel (I make my own)
125g of suet
125g of breadcrumbs
100g of plain flour
200g of demerara sugar
125mls milk
½ tsp of mixed spice
½ tsp of grated nutmeg
½ of ground ginger
A good pinch of salt (a lovely measurement, eh?)
3 large eggs
The zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
5 tablespoons of stout (e.g. Guinness)
A wine glass of brandy (depends on the size of your wine glass, no?)
30g chopped almonds.
2 tbsp black treacle
Melted butter for greasing.
Method
Day 1 - In a container put all the dried fruit, chopped almonds, treacle, the zest and juice of the lemon and orange and finally the brandy. Mix thoroughly, then cover and leave overnight so the fruit absorbs the liquid.
Day 2 – In a bowl beat the eggs, then add the stout and milk and stir until mixed. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, salt and spices and then add the sugar, breadcrumbs and suet and mix thoroughly. Then add the dried fruit mixture and mix thoroughly, ensuring that it is all incorporated. Finally add the milk and stout mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 24hrs.
Day 3 – Well grease with the melted butter either a 2pint pudding basin or 2 x 1pint pudding basins. Give the mixture a last good stir – making a wish if you want!! Now’s the time to add the sixpences – oh we don’t have them anymore!
Place the pudding mixture in the basin/s, preferably with a dome in the middle, place two discs of buttered greaseproof paper (I use oven parchment), then wrap the top of the basin in tin foil, which is at least 8mm wider than basin diameter, and then create a fold in the middle to allow for the pudding rising. Tie this foil securely around the edge.
Place the basin on a trivet inside a steamer, or large saucepan with a tight lid, or a pressure cooker, and steam for 5 hours, ensuring the water does not boil away, and that neither does it rise too high and access the pudding.
Next, we talk about accompaniments. A classic is custard, good old British custard, or crème anglaise as the French call it. Another is brandy butter, a simple but tasty dish made with butter, icing sugar and brandy. Of course there is always the option of vanilla ice cream, although it must be a good vanilla ice cream, where you can see the flecks of vanilla seeds. Then there is cream, single cream, double cream or clotted cream, which is your favourite?
Well, if you decide to make this, do tell me how yours turned out, and what you decided to serve with it!
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