Make your own festive pud
THE taste of a lovingly prepared homemade pudding tailored just for you has to be unbeatable!
This recipe makes two beautiful puddings – one to keep and one to give away!
Ingredients:
350g Mixed Dried Fruit, incl Sultanas, Currants, Raisins, Cranberries
50g Mixed Peel
½ glass Brandy or preferred liqueur
75g Breadcrumbs
150g Shredded Vegetable Suet 150g Self Raising Flour, sifted 2 tsp Spices, incl Mixed Spice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon
A pinch of salt
100g Dark Brown Sugar
3 Free Range Eggs
1 tsp granulated Coffee
Milk to blend
Juice and zest of an Orange and a Lemon
200g your favourite nuts chopped, incl Walnut, Pecan, flaked Almonds
8 Glace Cherries, quartered 1 Bramley Apple, cored, peeled & grated
1 small Carrot, grated
You will need 2 x 1 litre greased, heatproof, Pudding Basins, plus String.
Recipe:
First soak the dried fruit and mixed peel overnight in the brandy or your preferred liqueur.
In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients with the sugar and suet.
In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs with the coffee and 3 tbsp of milk, add the lemon and orange zest and juice.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, gradually and thoroughly mix in the egg mixture.
Finally add the remaining ingredients and combine to a dropping consistency, adding more milk as required.
Pour the mixture into your basins leaving a 1” gap at the top. Cover with two layers of grease proof paper and a layer of foil, tie with the string.
Place the filled bowls on a trivet or steamer in large saucepans half filled with boiling water to the sides of the pudding basins, cover the pans and steam for five hours, topping up with boiling water as and when required.
Allow the puddings to cool down.
Renew the grease proof paper and wrap tightly in cling-film.
Store in a cool dry place topping with liqueur at fortnightly intervals if you wish. When ready to serve just reheat, by steaming for a further two hours, or microwaving. Enjoy!
For more of Lesley’s recipes go to: www.robertositalian.co.uk.