Best Christmas Pudding Ever

I spent most of my life never venturing into the world of puddings. I must admit that I've never really liked Christmas pudding. In my view it was dark and bitter and had none of the enjoyment I've experienced in a Christmas cake. And then I had a revelation when we visited Australia over Christmas and their pudding was a whole different ball game. It was light and delightful (although I wasn't so keen on it being served with cold custard). And so began the mission to find the right recipe.

I have made Christmas cakes since my 20s but some-how I thought puddings were too complicated.  How wrong I was!  My first attempt I scoured the internet for lots of different recipes. I followed recipes by both Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater. This involved a lot of pudding eating to make a final decision. The first year I made them we enjoyed both but by the following year we had forgotten which we preferred. Then followed more pudding tasting. I made both in various sizes and then we cooked portions of both and tasted together to compare. The third year I decided to mix and match the best of both and create my own. 

This year I have also increased the mixture size so that I can create more loveliness to last me through the year. My recipe is predominantly inspired by Jamie Oliver but has a distinct ginger twist. His recipe is intended to fill one large 1.5 litre pudding bowl and I prefer a selection of smaller ones. Therefore instead of one large pudding I have increased the ingredients by half again and made three puddings. The saying goes that a dog is not just for Christmas and I believe the same applies to puddings!

• Ingredients:
• 250g raisins
• 250g sultanas (possibly add more if you feel it's not dense enough)
• 80g cherries
• 100g apricots
• 100g cranberries
•  160g dates
•  100g finely chopped crystalised ginger
• 180g plain four
• 150g fresh bread crumbs
• 185g suet ( used whole 200g pack)1
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 80g macadamia nuts (or mix with almonds)
• 2 eggs
•  200ml milk (or adjust according to texture)
•  Zest of one orange
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger (add whatever spices tickle your fancy)
•  Pinch of salt
• 140ml ish of alcohol (your favourite liqueur, mine is amaretto)

Method:

·         I like to soak all the fruit overnight with the alcohol … don’t worry if you leave it longer. Chop the dates and apricots. I also like to cut the cherries so there are more pieces in each mouthful.

·         Start by greasing your pudding basin with a knob of butter. I found that these quantities made three 2-pint puddings with basin filled ¾ full; or one 2pt basin and two 1pt basins filled to brim.

·         In a bowl beat the egg and milk together and put aside.

·         In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients together. Pour the egg and milk mixture into this bowl and stir or mix with your hands until everything is combined.

·         Spoon this mixture into the greased bowls and cover with a layer of buttered greaseproof paper. If steaming without specific designed lids add a double layer of foil and secure these layers around the rim of the bowl using a piece of string. I use purpose made basins with lids.

·         Place the bowl (s) in a large saucepan and pour cold water into the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the bowl. Bring the water to the bowl, then cover with a lid and simmer for 2-3 hours. If using a small bowl adjust cooking time.

I use an electric steamer and can fit more than one bowl in at a time. Ensure the pan does not boil dry and top up as indicated. 

·         If storing puddings, reheat for further 2-3 hours before serving. Remove greaseproof paper and turn out. Enjoy with your favourite accompaniment … brandy butter is Jamie’s recommended indulgence; my husband likes brandy sauce and I like custard. Even ice-cream is good but it needs to be a good Madagascan vanilla.