Apple and Calvados Christmas Pudding

From fabulous cakes to impressive meringues, Dr. Oetker has everything you need for success in the kitchen

Calvados, or cider brandy, gives a lovely, fruity warmth to this pudding and balances the sweetness. You can replace it with extra apple juice if you prefer to keep it booze-free.

Hands-on time 25min, plus overnight soaking, cooling and (optional) maturing. Cooking time 4½hr. Serves 8

150g raisins

100g sultanas

100g soft dried apple, chopped

75ml cloudy apple juice

75ml Calvados Butter, to grease

150g grated Bramley apple

125g dark brown soft sugar

75g fresh white breadcrumbs

50g plain flour

50g vegetarian suet

75g black treacle

1 large egg, beaten

1tbsp mixed spice

1tsp vanilla extract

1 Put the dried fruit, apple juice and Calvados into a large non-metallic bowl. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.

2 Lightly grease a 1 litre pudding basin and line base with a disc of baking parchment. Put a 30cm square of foil on top of a square of baking parchment the same size. Fold a 4cm pleat across the centre and set aside.

3 Add remaining ingredients to the soaked fruit; mix well. Spoon into prepared basin, pressing down to level. Put pleated foil and parchment square (foil-side up) on top of the basin and smooth down to cover. Using a long piece of string, tie securely under the lip of the basin and loop over again and tie to make a handle.

4 To cook, put a heatproof saucer in the base of a large, deep pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Lower in the prepared pudding and pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of basin, taking care not to get any on top of the pudding. Cover pan with the lid, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 4½hr, checking the water level periodically and topping up as necessary. Carefully remove the pudding from the pan; cool completely.

5 If storing, cool completely. Wrap basin, still with its foil lid, tightly in clingfilm, followed by a further layer of foil. Store in a cool, dark place to mature for up to 2 months.

PER SERVING

346cals, 4g protein, 6g fat (3g saturates), 61g carbs (52g total sugars), 3g fibre

TO REHEAT

To reheat on the day, remove foil and clingfilm, as well as the lid. Re-cover with fresh baking parchment and foil as per instructions in steps 2 and 3. Following method in step 4, reheat for 2hr, until piping hot in the centre when pierced with a skewer. Remove from pan and allow to sit for 5min. Carefully remove lid and invert on to a serving plate. Peel off baking parchment and serve.

Baking brings joy on so many levels. It’s in the making, from the bowl licking to the confetti sprinkling, and it’s in the eating and sharing with friends and family. Whatever you’re making, Dr. Oetker has everything you need, with tips, hints, fun recipe inspiration and quality ingredients, designed to deliver delicious results every time. Want that oh-so-satisfying baking feeling? Try these insider tips to take your creations to the next level.

FOR A FLUFFY SPONGE…

The secret to the perfect light sponge is super-soft room-temperature butter, creamed with sugar using an electric hand whisk until it’s almost white. This takes longer than you think: around 4-5min. Then add the beaten egg in small amounts, whisking well each time so the mixture doesn’t curdle. Don’t stir in the flour; preserve all that lovely trapped air by gently folding it in, along with some

Dr. Oetker Baking Powder, using a large metal spoon or spatula. Our failsafe tip? A splash of milk at the end. It makes the sponge beautifully moist.

FOR PILLOWY MERINGUE...

With meringue, the speed you whisk your egg whites at is key. Start on the slowest setting, then increase the speed. This allows the proteins in the whites to stretch to their full potential, instead of snapping and making a watery mess, and traps the maximum amount of air. Make sure you whisk until the egg white stands in stiff, pointy peaks before adding the sugar in stages, but don’t overdo it.

Under-whisked egg white won’t hold its shape once the sugar goes in, but if it’s over-whisked, it will split into lumps of fluff and water. Adding a sachet of Dr. Oetker Cream Of Tartar will stabilise the egg whites to prevent this.

FOR THE PERFECT FINISH…

Covering a cake in buttercream can be tricky, as the sponge can tear, so take a tip from the pros. Spread a thin amount of icing all over the top and sides of your cake to trap any crumbs, then chill for an hour, until set. You can then finish with a thick, even coat of icing. Or, if you’re not so confident in your decorating skills, a fun idea is to mix a good handful of Dr. Oetker Unicorn Confetti sprinkles into your buttercream to create a delicious funfetti icing to spread on your bake.