Brandy

How To Make The Perfect Christmas Pudding

by:
December 28, 2014
4
1 Ratings
  • Serves 10
Author Notes

There are few dishes so quintessentially Christmassy as the Christmas Pudding. One whiff of it conjures images of family gatherings, endless unwrapped presents and overfull tummies. Everyone has their favourite version of this classic – or at least their favourite cook of it.

It’s a hard dish to master if you’ve never tried to make it before, so we’ve provided step-by-step instructions in this instructographic. Pretty soon, you might be making someone’s favourite version of the good ol’ Christmas pud. —Benoit

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 375 grams raisins, roughly chopped
  • 375 grams sultanas
  • 250 grams currants
  • 200 grams dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • 250 grams butter, melted, cooled
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup self raising flour
  • 1 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup blackcurrant conserve
  • 3/4 cup brandy
  • 1/4 cup green ginger wine
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon mixed spice
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
  • cream to serve
Directions
  1. Mix dried fruit, brandy, wine, conserve and spices in a bowl. Cover and stand overnight, stirring occassionally.
  2. Grease a 10-cup basin with melted butted. Refrigerate for 15mins. Brush with butter again. Line base of bowl with baking paper.
  3. Whisk eggs and butter together. Add to fruit mixture with sugar. Sift plain flour, self-raising flour, and bicarbonate of soda over fruit mixture. Combine with a wooden spoon. Spoon into prepared basin.
  4. Cut a sheet of foil and a sheet of baking paper into circles. 5cm larger than the top of the pudding bowl. Lay paper over foil. Make a pleat by folding in half and then in half again. Place paper-side down, over pudding. Crush surplus foil and baking paper firmly around rim and secure with string.
  5. Place an upturned plate into the base of a large, deep saucepan. Place the pudding basin onto the plate. Pour hot water into the saucepan so it comes one-third of the way up the side of the basin.
  6. Cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 hours.
  7. Remove pudding from water. Stand for 30 minutes. Turn onto a platter. Serve with cream or cool completely, then store.
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