SERVES 8
PREPARATION 1 HR 30 MINS
COOKING 7 HOURS
110g (3½oz) self-raising flour
1tsp mixed spice
Pinch salt
75g (2½oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
30g (1oz) flaked almonds
350g (11oz) mixed dried fruit
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
2 large eggs
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1tbsp black treacle
110g (3½oz) butter
175g (6oz) light muscovado sugar
2tbsp brandy or rum
1. Sift the flour, mixed spice and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, flaked almonds, dried fruit and apple.
2. In a jug, combine the eggs, lemon juice, zest and treacle.
3. Melt the butter and muscovado sugar over a low heat, then mix with the egg mixture and the dry ingredients. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 1 hour.
4. Grease a 1.2l pudding basin with a little butter. Stir the mixture again and spoon it into the basin, ensuring the top is level. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper which contains a few small pleats, then cover the top of the basin with pleated foil and secure with string.
5. Heat the oven to 150°C (gas mark 2). Place the pudding in a deep baking tin and pour boiling water into the tin to a depth of 2½cm (1in). Cover the tin with a tent of foil and cook for 4-5 hours.
6. Let the pudding cool completely. Remove and discard the coverings. Spoon over the brandy and cover with fresh greaseproof paper and foil. Keep cool in the fridge.
7. To serve the pudding, bring it back to room temperature, re-cover with buttered greaseproof paper and foil, again secure it with string and steam for 2 hours.
8. Invert the pudding onto a serving plate and remove the bowl. Pour 2tbsp of brandy into a ladle, warm it over a candle, then let the flame lick over the warm brandy. When it lights, pour it over the pudding. Serve immediately with brandy butter.
TIP
If you are going to make your own Christmas pudding, this is the recipe to try. The difference is that Katie Stewart uses butter rather than suet. There is no beating or difficult instructions, you simply combine the ingredients and mix well. The pudding is steamed in a water bath in the oven, rather than in a saucepan on the top of the stove, which prevents the pan from boiling dry during the long steaming process. And the result
is a lovely, rich, dark pudding.
FAST FIX
To save time on Christmas Day, the pudding can have its final heating in a microwave.
MAKE AHEAD
The pudding can be made up to 2 months ahead. Keep it in the fridge, wrapped in clingfilm. Brandy butter can be made up to 3 weeks ahead.
EXTRAS
To make a simple brandy butter, beat 150g (5oz) of chopped, softened butter until light and fluffy. Mix in 125g (4oz) of icing sugar, 60g (2oz) of light muscovado sugar and 4tbsp of brandy, and beat until combined. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.