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Classic Christmas Pudding

publication date: Nov 22, 2013
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Packed with plump fruits and warming brandy, this Christmas pudding is the perfect festive treat. Follow award-winning baker and food writer Dan Lepard's recipe and you can't go wrong on Stir Up Sunday – 24 November.

Ingredients

  • Chrsitmas pudding385g Sainsbury's mixed dried fruit
  • 80g Sainsbury's ready-to-eat dried figs, roughly chopped
  • 75g Sainsbury's glacé cherries, roughly chopped
  • 100ml basics brandy, plus some for flaming
  • 1 small cooking apple, peeled cored and grated
  • 1 small orange, zest and juice
  • 100g shredded suet (vegetarian if you wish)
  • 3 medium British free-range Woodland eggs by Sainsbury's, beaten
  • 100g Sainsbury's ground almonds
  • 200g soft muscovado sugar
  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 20g Sainsbury's almonds, halved
  • 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice by Sainsbury's
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon by Sainsbury's

 

Method

  1. Put the mixed fruit, dried figs and glacé cherries into large pan with the brandy and bring to the boil; turn down and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to soak overnight.
  2. Grease a 1 litre pudding basin.
  3. Mix together the cooking apple, orange juice and zest, suet, beaten eggs, ground almonds, sugar, and flour in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Stir in the soaked fruit, almonds, mixed spice and cinnamon. Pour into the greased basin. Cover the basin with two large circles of greaseproof paper and one of tin foil and secure around the top of the basin with string. Make a handle across the basin with the string.
  5. Place the basin in a large saucepan, with a lid, and pour in boiling water until it comes half way up the basin. Cover with the lid and steam for two hours. Allow to cool, then wrap the whole basin in foil and store until Christmas (see tip).
  6. One hour and 30 minutes before you want to serve the pudding, place into a large saucepan, as before, and steam for 1 hour and 30 minutes until cooked through and springy to touch.
  7. To serve, pour over a couple of tablespoons of brandy and light the pudding. Serve with brandy butter, cream or vanilla custard.

 

Cook's tip: This pudding will keep in a cool, dry place for up to three months.