Boiled Christmas pudding

SERVES 10 PREP AND COOK TIME 7 HOURS 30 MINUTES (+ STANDING AND COOLING TIME)

1 cup (160g) sultanas

1 cup (160g) dried currants

1 cup (160g) coarsely chopped raisins ½ cup (75g) finely chopped seeded dates ⅓ cup (60g) finely chopped pitted prunes ½ cup (100g) finely chopped dried figs 1 large (200g) apple, grated coarsely 1½ tablespoons golden syrup or treacle 2 cups (440g) dark brown sugar

1 cup (250ml) brandy

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cinnamon

185g butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten lightly

2 cups (140g) stale breadcrumbs

¾ cup (110g) plain flour

¾ cup (110g) plain flour, extra, for pudding cloth figs and crystallised citrus rind, to serve

Combine dried fruit, apple, golden syrup, sugar, brandy and spices in a large bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dark place for 1 month (or longer, if desired) before using. Stir the mixture every two or three days. Alternatively, microwave for 1-minute bursts on HIGH for 2-3 minutes or until fruit it is plumped.

Stir butter, eggs, breadcrumbs and sifted flour into fruit mix.

Fill a boiler three-quarters full with hot water; cover, bring to the boil.

Have ready 2.5 metres of kitchen string and the extra flour. Wearing thick rubber gloves, dip prepared pudding cloth (see Test Kitchen tips, overleaf) into boiling water; boil for 1 minute. Remove cloth from water, squeeze excess water from cloth. Working quickly, spread hot cloth on bench, rub extra flour into centre of cloth to cover an area of about 40cm in diameter, leaving flour a little thicker in centre of cloth where the ‘skin’ on the pudding will need to be thickest.

Place pudding mixture in centre of cloth. Gather cloth evenly around pudding, avoiding any deep pleats; pat into a round shape. Tie cloth tightly with kitchen string as close to mixture as possible. Knot the corners of cloth together to make the pudding easier to remove from the boiler.

Gently lower pudding into boiling water. Tie the free ends of the string to handles of the boiler to suspend the pudding. Cover boiler with a tight-fitting lid; boil rapidly for 6 hours. Replenish the boiling water as needed to maintain the boil and water level – there must be enough boiling water for the pudding to be immersed at all times.

Untie pudding from the handles. Place the handle of a wooden spoon through the knotted cloth loops to lift the pudding from the water. Don’t put the pudding on the bench; suspend it from the spoon on rungs of an upturned stool. The pudding must be suspended freely. If the pudding has been cooked correctly, the cloth will start to dry in patches within a few minutes; hang the pudding for 10 minutes.

Place the pudding in a bowl, cut string; gently peel away cloth to uncover about half the pudding. Scrape the ‘skin’ back onto the pudding with a palette knife if necessary. Invert the pudding onto a plate and continue to peel off the cloth completely. Stand the pudding for at least 20 minutes or until the ‘skin’ darkens and the pudding becomes firm, before cutting to serve.