If you haven’t yet bought your Christmas pudding or made one even, then let me share this recipe with you as there is still time, as I only made mine today! I first made this version of a Christmas pudding last year and it went down so well with all my guests! So much so that I have been asked to make it again this year! I have to thank the BBC Good Food Magazine for this amazing recipe as it was in my December issue last year, but you can also find it on their website.
One thing I like about this version of a Christmas pudding is that you don’t have to steam it as you bake it in the oven, and because it is baked in a loaf tin it cuts so much more easily for your guests than a pudding bowl version! I made a couple of adjustments to the recipe this year, having stuck to the original last year, but the recipe is as follows:
- 375g dried mixed fruits
- 85g sour cherries or cranberries or glace cherries
- 25g dried apricots
- 1 Bramley apple, about 175g, grated or chopped
- plus zest 1 orange and 1 lemon
- 150ml good orange OR apple juice
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 2 tbsp Cointreau (or use more brandy)
- 140g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100g dark muscovado sugar
- 2 large eggs , beaten
- 85g self-raising flour
- 100g white breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 25g toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, walnuts and blanched almonds, roughly chopped
- FOR THE TOPPING
- 50g butter
- 50g dark muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 25g each toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds and glacé cherries , left whole
- Put the dried fruit, cherries, apricots, apple, zests, apple/orange juice, brandy (and Cointreau) in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.
- Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler,
- beat the eggs
- in a large bowl the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs,
- syrup, spices and salt, and mix
- then tip in the soaked fruit and the nuts.
- spoon the mixture into your loaf tin
- I added some a £2 coin into my unbaked pudding and having googled whether this sixpence replacement is allowed nowadays, I did the following:
- boiled my coin in a saucepan for 5 minutes to sterilise it (as best i could)
- once cooled down wrap the coin in some parchment paper
- place into the middle of your pudding mixture
- once the coin is added, scrunch some tin foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin's edges. Sit it in a roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water.
- Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.
- After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again as required.
- Here is the cooked pudding, wrapped up ready to going into the fridge until the 25th
- TO SERVE:
- To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium.
- TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
- Gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding.
DAY 8 
Thank you xx
Sounds lovely, or would do if I liked Christmas pud 🙂
I’d love this Christmas pudding – with the brandy set alight just before serving.
What a delicious recipe. Cointreau must take it to a different level. M&S are selling some brandy cream right now (I sampled it in store) and it would go brilliantly with this. Thanks Jen
I might have to try this one as the mice decided to eat most of my others! – beats steaming for 8 hours.
Thanks for linking up another great recipe
x
That looks amazing! And there is no skanky suet in it! x
I love how you have put an equivalent six pence in it
That looks very yummy! Have a wonderful Christmas Jenny. xx
I’ve never made my own and really ought to give it a try.
Our Stir Up Sunday 2013 | Mummy Mishaps
[…] make mine a little differently as I do not steam it I simply bake it and I have been using the same recipe for a few years now. However, I have altered it slightly this year and have steeped the fruit in […]
Oh Wow this looks amazing I bet it tastes divine.
I have a Christmas cooking linky here if you would like to add your recipe
http://www.thediaryofajewellerylover.co.uk/2013/10/christmas-recipe-linky.html
Christmas Pudding Nougat | Mummy Mishaps
[…] into several meals, by New Years day the only food left to eat up was some chocolates and some Christmas Pudding. My Christmas Pudding is delicious as it is of course, being homemade, but as I had quite a bit […]