This Christmas Pudding is the perfect Christmas dessert, filled with warm spices and mixed fruit.
Ingredients
200g Currants
200g Raisins
200g Sultanas
150ml Sweet sherry
175g Butter plus extra for greasing
175g Brown sugar
4 Eggs, beaten
150g Self-raising flour
100g Fresh white or wholemeal breadcrumbs
50g Blanched chopped or flaked almonds
Juice of 1 orange
Grated rind of ½ orange
Grated rind of ½ lemon
½ tsp Mixed spice
Holly, to decorate
Icing sugar, for dusting
Tools
Kenwood Kitchen Machine – K Beater
Method
Place the currants, raisins and sultanas in the bowl and pour the sherry over, using the K beater, mix on speed 1 for 45-60 secs. When mixed, set aside in a glass bowl, cover with cling film and leave to soak for at least 2 hours.
Still using the K beater, beat together the butter and brown sugar on speed 2 for 2 minutes, until creamed together. Beat in the eggs, pouring in slowly while mixing on speed 2 for another minute, then fold in the flour on speed 1 for another minute. Pour in the soaked fruit and sherry with the breadcrumbs, almonds, orange juice and rind, lemon rind, and mixed spice, mix on speed 2 for a minute.
Grease a 1.2 litre (2-pint) pudding basin and spoon the mixture into it, packing it down well and leaving a gap of approx. 2.5cm at the top. Cut a round of greaseproof paper 3cm larger than the top of the basin, grease with butter and place over the pudding. Secure with string, then top with 2 layers of foil.
Place the pudding in a saucepan filled with boiling water that reaches two thirds of the way up the basin. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 hours, topping up the water in the saucepan when necessary.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Renew the greaseproof paper and foil and store in the refrigerator for 2-8 weeks. To re-heat steam as before for 2 hours, decorate with holly, a dusting of icing sugar and serve.