Classic Christmas Pudding

This Christmas Pudding is loaded with dried fruits and flavours of the festive season! Popular in Britain, this Figgy Pudding is a stir up Sunday classic. This Pudding is sure to be a great dessert to end off your Christmas meal!

Ingredients

• 150 grams Raisins

• 100 grams Dried Apricots, chopped

• 100 grams Cranberries

• 100 grams Prunes, chopped

• 150 grams Dates, chopped

• 50 grams Candied Ginger, chopped

• 50 grams Walnuts, chopped

• 1 Orange, zest 

• 100 ml Brandy

• 100 grams All-Purpose Flour

• 100 grams Fresh Bread Crumbs

• 200 grams Brown Sugar

• 2 tsp All-Spice

• 150 grams Unsalted Butter, room temperature

• 3 large Eggs

• 1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 tsp Salt

Method

1. In a bowl, mix all the dried fruits, orange zest and pour in the brandy.  Give it a mix and leave it aside for the fruit to soak up the brandy.

2. In another bowl, add the all-purpose flour, bread crumbs, brown sugar, all-spice, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt and toss in the plumped up dried fruits.

3. Give it a good mix till all the ingredients are well incorporated.

4. Generously butter a pudding basin or heat-proof bowl and place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom.  

5. Spoon the pudding mix into the bowl pressing down after every spoonful.  Leave a little space on the top of the bowl for the pudding to rise.

6. Cover the top of the pudding with parchment paper and aluminum foil.  Press it down around the sides of the bowl and secure it tight to the mold with a string.  Create a handle with the string for easy handling of the hot pudding once it has steamed.

7. Place the filled up pudding bowl into a high pot and fill room temperature water halfway up the bowl.

8. Cover and place the pot on medium heat.  As soon as the water begins to bubble, turn down the heat to medium-low and allow the pudding to steam for approximately 4 hours.  

9. Keep a close eye on the level of the water during the steaming process and pour in more hot water if required.  

10. When the pudding is ready, carefully take it out of the steamer using the handle and remove the cover on the top.

11. Carefully invert the pudding on a plate and remove the parchment paper which was placed at the base.

12. To flambé the pudding pour brandy on the pudding and carefully light it up 

13. Cut the pudding into wedges and enjoy it with a dollop of lightly whipped fresh cream.