Christmas is almost here Islington so for my last post before Christmas day I thought a recipe to make the best Christmas pudding might come in useful adding that little extra something to your meal. I should point out this isn't my own recipe and anyone who knows me will be glad for that.You'll have to thanks the folks at The Guardian for supplying this one. Also I'll make a bet that 99% of people will be able to make a much better one than me.
So lets start with what you need.
900g dried vine fruits 200ml brandy, plus more for flaming
110g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
170g suet
170g light muscovado sugar
55g flaked almonds
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp marmalade
225g fresh white breadcrumbs
4 eggs
300ml ale or stout
Butter, for greasing
Put the fruit in a bowl with 100ml of brandy, cover and leave overnight.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, then stir in the suet, fruit, sugar, almonds, lemon, marmalade and breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs, then stir in, along with the ale.
Butter two one-litre pudding basins, fill with cake mix and cover with a layer each of greased paper and foil, both pleated in the middle to allow for expansion. Secure with string. Put a metal jam-jar lid or tart tin in the bottom of a large pan, put the basins on top and pour in boiling water to come a third of the way up the sides. Cover, simmer gently for six hours (top up the water as necessary), then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When cold, remove the paper and foil, poke holes in the top of the puds and pour over the brandy. Tightly wrap in clingfilm and store in a cool, dry place. On Christmas Day, press foil-wrapped 20p coins and one £1 coin into the pud, wrap in a double layer of clingfilm, and simmer for two to three hours. Turn out, flame with warmed brandy and serve with apple brandy butter (150g soft butter, 50g soft icing sugar and a splosh of apple brandy beaten until smooth).
Enjoy
