Recipes
Recipes

The best Christmas pudding

Ask the children to help – they can have fun while they learn about baking. But remind them to follow tradition and make a wish as they stir!

Ask the children to help – they can have fun while they learn about baking. But remind them to follow tradition and make a wish as they stir!

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(3 votes)
Cooking Time

Cook: 6 Hours 25 Mins

Cooking Time

Serves: 8

Cooking Time

Price: 70p per serving

Nutritional Information

Each 155g serving contains

Energy
2261kj
540kcal
27%
Fat
21g
Med
30%
Saturates
8.6g
High
43%
Sugars
59g
High
65%
Salt
0.64g
Med
11%
of your reference intake.
Typical energy values per 100g:
1459kj/349kcal

Ingredients

175g sultanas

175g raisins

100g currants

50g dried cranberries

70ml rum (or brandy)

1 unwaxed lemon, washed and dried

1 orange, washed and dried

50g carrots, washed and grated

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp ground mixed spice

75g pecans

100g fresh white breadcrumbs

115g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

115g soft brown sugar

2 large free-range eggs

Method

1
Put the dried fruit in a bowl and add the rum or brandy.
2
Finely grate the zest of the lemon and orange. Squeeze the orange and measure 60ml juice – you may need a little extra. Add the zest, orange juice and grated carrot to the dried fruit mixture. Mix well.
3
Cover with cling film and leave for 2 hours. Sift together the flour and mixed spice. Grease a 1 litre pudding basin with a little butter. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
4
Finely chop the pecans and mix in a bowl with the breadcrumbs (best made with bread that’s two or three days old). In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5
Add the fruit, flour and breadcrumb mixes to the mixing bowl. Ask everyone in the family to stir the mixture and make a wish. When thoroughly mixed, transfer to the pudding basin.
6
Cover the basin with a 32cm x 27cm piece of greaseproof paper. Make a pleat in the top to allow it to expand as it cooks. Tie the string tightly round the rim, then cover with foil, pressing it against the basin. Tie with more string. Put the pudding in a deep roasting tin and pour boiling water into the tin to a depth of 4cm.
7
Cover with 2 sheets of foil, tucking the edges tightly under the rim so no steam will escape. Cook in the oven for 4 hours. Check occasionally, topping up the water as necessary.
8
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Remove the foil and greaseproof paper, then cover with fresh greaseproof paper and wrap in cling film.
9
To serve, microwave on full power for 4 minutes, or steam for 1 ½ hours.

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