This quick and easy Christmas Pudding recipe can be made just days before Christmas but benefits from being stored, “fed” and matured for several weeks before the big day. The flavours will mellow and enhance the pudding, making a deep intense, rich and flavoursome Christmas Pudding; if you are expecting lots of guests and family for Christmas dinner this pudding will serve 6 people. You can make one large pudding or you can divide the pudding mixture between 6 smaller pudding basins, to make individual Christmas Puddings for your guests. Or you could keep one pudding for yourself and give the others away as homemade Christmas gifts.
Ingredients
- 100g (4oz) butter
- 50g (2oz) soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tbs black treacle
- 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
- 1- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2- 3 tbs brandy
- 100g (4oz) currants
- 100g (4oz) sultanas
- 50g (2oz) mixed peel
How to make Christmas Pudding
- Place butter, sugar, treacle, flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, eggs and brandy in a bowl and beat together until thoroughly mixed.
- Stir in currants, sultanas and mixed peel.
- Divide the mixture between 6 thoroughly greased 200ml (7 fl oz) capacity dariole moulds (Dariole is a French term meaning a small, cylindrical mould) or you could use pudding basins.
- Cover tightly with foil and steam for ¾ hour in a large saucepan filled with about 6cm of water covering the bottom of the dariole or pudding basin. Check regularly so not to boil dry.
- When cooked turn the puddings out of the moulds and decorate with festive leaves.
- Serve with brandy butter, whipped or double cream, or even custard!
- The pudding mixture may be cooked in one 1.4 litre (2½ pint) capacity dariole mould or pudding basin and steamed for 2 hours.
The cooked puddings can be stored in an air tight container and “fed” more brandy over a period of 2- 7 weeks for a deep intense, rich and flavoursome Christmas Pudding.