A do-it-yourself Christmas pudding is straightforward to make, then it simply wants time within the steamer to show it into a wonderful, wealthy, fruity dessert. Serve with brandy butter or cream.
Technique
Step 1
Get the whole lot for the pudding ready. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You may chop the almonds and apples in a meals processor, however the peel should be accomplished by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds rather a lot nevertheless it’s appropriate).
Step 2
Combine the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, mild muscovado sugar, eggs and a couple of tbsp brandy or cognac in a big bowl.
Step 3
Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate 1 / 4 of it into the bowl, then stir the whole lot collectively. Repeat till all of the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 minutes – the combination is prepared when it subsides barely after every stir. Ask the household to stir too, and get everybody to make a want.
Step 4
Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment within the backside of every. Pack within the pudding combination. Cowl with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to permit for growth, then tie with string (preserve the paper in place with a rubber band whereas tying). Trim off any extra paper.
Step 5
Now stand every bowl on a big sheet of foil and produce the sides up excessive, then put one other sheet of foil excessive and produce it down beneath to make a double package deal (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with extra string, and make a deal with for straightforward lifting out and in of the pan. Watch our video to see the right way to tie up a pudding accurately.
Step 6
Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs, topping up with water as essential. Take away from the pans and go away to chill in a single day. When chilly, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string. Retailer in a cool, dry place till Christmas.
Step 7
To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Progressively beat within the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the highest attractively and put within the fridge to set. The butter will preserve for every week within the fridge, or it may be frozen for as much as six weeks.
Step 8
On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr. Unwrap and end up. To flame, heat 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set mild to it.
