Christmas puddings are very rich and dark and like Christmas cake, they contain just about every dried fruit you can think of, except it's soggy. Traditionally served on Christmas Day.
Ingredients
1 oz blanched almonds
1 oz glace cherries
2 oz mixed peel
¼ lb raisins
6 oz sultanas
6 oz currants
¼ lb soft brown sugar
3oz self-raising flour
3oz soft white breadcrumbs
¼ lb chopped suet
a small pinch of salt
a large pinch of mixed spice
a small pinch of nutmeg
1 small lemon
2 eggs
6 tbsp milk
Method
- Boil a large pan of water.
- Wash and dry the fruit.
- Roughly chop the almonds and cherries.
- Mix all the fruit and dry ingredients with the grated rind and juice of the lemon.
- Lightly whisk the eggs with the milk, and stir into the dry ingredients.
- Mix well and place into a greased basin.
- Cover the basin with foil and lower it into the boiling water (make sure the water doesn't come to the top of the basin)
- Steam the pudding gently for 6 hours, topping the water up occasionally.
- Remove the pudding from the pan and allow to cool.
- Cover when cold and keep until required.
- On Christmas day steam the pudding for another 2 hours before serving.
(It's traditional to serve the pudding alight, but it should be done with great care. To do it, I pour brandy over the pudding and then warm some brandy in a metal spoon and place a lit match to it before pouring it over the pudding. With the lights out, it looks very pretty, but it should only be done by an expert, like me!)
Definitions
To boil: To cook a liquid at a temperature of at least 100°C.
To chop: To cut food into small even-sized pieces using a knife or food processor.
To mix: To beat or stir foods together until they are combined.
To steam: To cook food in the steam rising from boiling water.
To stir: To agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon.
To whisk: To beat a mixture vigorously with a whisk.