Christmas pudding

Don't forget to make your Christmas pudding in advance to make sure it's soaked up all the delicious flavours of the fruit and alcohol!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Steaming time: 4 hours, plus 1½ on the day of eating
You will need: A 1.25Lt Pudding basin
Serves: 8 - 10

What you need:

• 100g Raisins
• 150g Sultanas
• 150g Figs, chopped
• 75g Candied peel, chopped
• 100g Billington's Natural Glace Cherries, halved
• 80ml Brandy
• 1 Orange juice and zest
• 100g Butter, unsalted, softened and beaten
• A little extra butter for greasing the bowl
• 165g Billington's Dark Muscovado Sugar
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 100g Self Raising Flour
• 100g Breadcrumbs
• 30g Almonds, ground
• 1 Eating Apple, grated

What you do:

1. Put the dried fruit into a non- metallic bowl with the brandy and juice and zest of the orange. Cover and soak overnight.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Grease a 1.25 litre pudding basin and line the base with non-stick baking parchment. Spoon the pudding mixture into the basin, ensuring that the mixture does not completely fill the basin (this allows for expansion during cooking) and press down well
4. Cover with a pleated piece of buttered foil (the fold allows for expansion), with the buttered side towards the pudding. Fold the foil over the edge of the basin and tie with kitchen string so no steam can escape. Make a string handle to lift the hot basin out of the pan.
5. Put the basin in a large pan. Pour in boiling water to come half way up the basin. Cover, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4 hours, topping up regularly with more boiling water.
6. Leave the pudding to cool then lift from the pan. Replace the string, foil and paper with a fresh lot. Store in a cool, dark place until needed. Before serving, steam in exactly the same way for 1 ½ hours.
7. Allow pudding to cool, then discard foil and replace with a new piece. Store in a cool dark place until Christmas.
8. Before serving on Christmas Day, steam in exactly the same way for 1½ hours until piping hot. Turn out on to a plate and serve.

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