CHRISTMAS PUDDING


SERVES: 4
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours standing, then cooling and storing 
COOKING TIME: 8 hours

Ingredients

 

  • 150g/5½oz/1¼ cups raisins
  • 150g/5½oz/1¼ cups sultanas
  • 100g/3½oz/heaped ¾ cup currants
  • 55g/2oz/heaped 1/3 cup pitted dates or prunes, chopped
  • 55g/2oz/ 1/3 cup chopped mixed peel
  • 30g/1oz/2 tbsp blanched almonds
  • 100g/3½oz/heaped ¾ cup wholegrain spelt flour
  • 55g/2oz/¼ cup caster sugar
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 75g/2½oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp orange juice (or fruit juice of choice)
  • brandy butter and cream, to serve

 

Methods/steps

 

      Put all the ingredients up to and including the cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, eggs and juice and mix well. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
      Grease the sides of a 1 litre/35fl oz/4 cup pudding basin and cut two circles of baking paper to fit the diameter of the top of the basin.
      Give the pudding mixture another stir, then scoop it into the prepared basin. Cover the top of the pudding with the baking paper circles, then spread kitchen foil over the top of the pudding basin, tucking it in really well around the outer rim of the basin.
      Place the pudding basin in a large saucepan, then fill the pan with water until the water reaches halfway up the basin. Put the lid on the saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary.
      Carefully remove the pudding and cool it on a wire rack. Be sure to leave the foil and baking paper on as the pudding cools. Store the pudding in a cool, dark place until required.
      When you're ready to eat the pudding, remove and refresh the greaseproof and foil layers. Put the basin in a saucepan again and fill the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the basin. Cover, bring to the boil, then boil, as before, for a further 3 hours. Invert the pudding onto a warm serving plate and serve warm, with brandy butter, cream or other accompaniment of your choice. Flambéing the pudding with brandy when serving is traditional, some would say mandatory!



Extracted from Spelt by Roger Saul © Roger Saul 2015
Published by Nourish Books, London. 
Hardback £16.99
Commissioned photography by Lara Holmes & Neil White

Don't forget to get your spelt ingredients:

30th November 2020

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