A Festive Favourite Christmas Pudding
When it comes to festive desserts, nothing quite says Christmas like a rich, indulgent Christmas pudding. This is the perfect dessert to crown your Christmas dinner. In this blog, we’ll walk you through an easy recipe to create the best Christmas pudding to enjoy with your family, along with variations for mini Christmas puddings and individual Christmas puddings.
Ingredients
- 175g raisins
- 175g currants
- 175g sultanas
- 100g mixed peel
- 50g plain flour
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 125g dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125g grated suet (use vegetable suet for a vegan Christmas pudding)
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 2 eggs (or egg replacer for a vegan version)
- 150ml dark beer or stout
- 50ml rum or brandy
- 50ml orange juice
- 1 small apple, peeled and grated
Method
Step 1: Start by combining all your dried fruits (raisins, currants, and sultanas) in a large mixing bowl. Add the mixed peel, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, and spices. If you're making a vegan Christmas pudding, make sure to use vegetable suet in place of traditional suet.
Stir in the grated apple and the citrus zest from both the lemon and the orange. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (or your egg replacer) and pour in the beer, rum, and orange juice. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is well combined.
Step 2: Grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin and spoon the pudding mixture into it. Level the top, cover with a layer of baking parchment, then wrap the whole basin in foil. Secure with string around the rim to ensure no steam escapes during the cooking process.
For mini Christmas puddings or individual Christmas puddings, simply divide the mixture into smaller pudding basins or ramekins, reducing the cooking time accordingly.
Step 3: Place the pudding basin in a large pan, and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and steam the pudding for 6 hours. Make sure to top up the water as needed to prevent it from boiling dry.
Step 4: Once your pudding is steamed, allow it to cool completely. Replace the parchment and foil with fresh layers, and store the pudding in a cool, dry place. Puddings can be stored for up to 2 months, and you can even feed them with extra rum or brandy each week to enhance the flavour.
Step 5: On Christmas Day, simply steam the pudding again for 2 hours to reheat. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate, and for the full traditional experience, pour some warm brandy over the top and carefully light it for a stunning presentation. Serve with brandy butter, cream, or custard.
For an indulgent twist, consider a chocolate Christmas pudding by adding cocoa powder or chocolate chips to the mixture!
Recipe sourced from BBCGoodFood
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