Black Forest Christmas pudding
SERVES: 10
PREP: 8 hours 30 minutes COOK: 5 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
190g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour, plus 50g (1/3 cup), extra
150g dark brown sugar 150g glace cherries
140g (1 cup) dried sour cherries
140g (2 cups, lightly packed) stale breadcrumbs 125g (1/2 cup) finely chopped dried soft figs 100g dark chocolate, finely chopped, plus extra, melted, to serve
95g (1/2 cup) finely chopped prunes
80g (1/2 cup) dried currants 2 tsp grated orange rind 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 185g unsalted butter, melted
80ml (1/3 cup) kirsch 2 eggs, lightly whisked 1 tbsp fresh orange juice Fresh cherries, to serve Dark chocolate shards, to decorate
Dark cocoa, to dust Custard, thick cream or ice-cream, to serve
Method
1. Soak an 80cm square of calico in a large bowl of cold water overnight.
2. Combine flour, sugar, glace cherries, sour cherries, breadcrumbs, figs, dark chocolate, prunes, currants, orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter, kirsch, eggs and orange juice in a large bowl.
3. Remove the calico from the cold water and wring to remove excess water. Bring a stockpot of water to the boil over high heat. Add the calico and return to the boil. Wearing dishwashing gloves, use tongs to remove the calico and squeeze out the water. Spread over a clean work surface. 4. Sprinkle extra flour into the centre of the calico and rub into a large round, leaving a 5cm border. Transfer the pudding mixture into the centre of the cloth. Gather up the corners and twist the pudding into a round. Tie tightly with kitchen string, allowing the string to overhang.
5. Gently add the pudding to the boiling water and tie the excess string to the pot handles. Cover and boil for 5 1⁄2 hours, topping up with boiling water when required.
6. Carefully untie the string from the handles and remove the pudding from the water. Hang over a bowl for 10 minutes or until the calico appears dry. Unwrap and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with melted chocolate, top with fresh cherries, chocolate shards and a dusting of cocoa. Serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.