1
British
Classic Christmas pudding
Allergens: Eggs, Gluten, Milk, Nuts, Peanuts, Sulphites
The steamed Christmas pudding: dark, rich and weeks-matured.
Ingredients
- Plain flour 140 g
- Apples 2 large
- Butter 250 g
- Eggs 3 large
- Almonds 50 g
- Breadcrumbs 100 g
- Brown sugar 100 g
- Nutmeg 1 whole
- Raisins 1 kg
- Mixed peel 200 g
- Brandy 2 tbsp
Method
- Get everything for the pudding prepared.
- Chop the almonds coarsely.
- Peel, core and chop the cooking apples.
- Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds a lot but it's correct).
- Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy or cognac in a large bowl.
- Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together.
- Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 mins – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir.
- Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.
- Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each.
- Pack in the pudding mixture.
- Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying).
- Trim off any excess paper.
- Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight).
- Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan.
- Watch our video to see how to tie up a pudding correctly.
- Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs, topping up with water as necessary.
- Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight.
- When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string.
- Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
- To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar.
- Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger.
- Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set.
- The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to six weeks.
- On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr.
- Unwrap and turn out.
- To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.