“My Nan has spent years perfecting this pudding recipe. It’s simple, tasty and it’s not too heavy so you can eat more. I love it!”
Nan's Christmas pud
Ingredients
- butter, for greasing
- 500g mixed dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, apricots, sultanas and raisins
- 100g dried dates, chopped
- 50g crystallised ginger, chopped
- 125g suet (see cook’s tips)
- zest of 1 orange
- 125g cake flour, sifted
- 125g castor sugar
- 150g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 30ml brandy
- a handful of chopped nuts, such
- as pecans, Brazils or hazelnuts
- 1 medium free-range or organic egg
- 150ml milk
- golden syrup and a little brandy, to serve, optional
Instructions
Grease a 1,5-litre pudding bowl with a little butter.
In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together, except the golden syrup and the brandy. Put the mixture into the greased bowl and cover with a double layer of foil, with a pleat down the centre. Tie a piece of string around the side of the bowl, then loop over and tie at the other side of the bowl to make a handle.
Place the bowl in a large saucepan with water halfway up the sides of the bowl. Bring the water to the boil, put on a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 3 hours. Check the water regularly – it must never boil dry, otherwise the pudding will burn and the bowl will crack.
When the pudding is ready, remove the foil, turn out onto a plate, drizzle with golden syrup and decorate it. If you want to be really fancy, you can also drizzle it with brandy, then set it alight at the table just before serving.
Notes
Suet is the fat that encases the kidneys of beef or lamb. It can be substituted with ghee or butter. To light your pudding, pour 30ml brandy over and carefully light. Now make your entrance!
