It wouldn't be Christmas Day without a pudding, and who better to take advice from than baking icon Mary Berry!
How do you like yours? With a kick from rum sauce, boozy brandy butter or perhaps custard? Whatever your preference, this traditional recipe is sure to be a winner with all of your guests come the big day.
Just 15 minutes to prepare (and seconds to devour), it's easy to follow for even the most inexperienced of bakers.
Give it a go and tag us in your photos on Facebook!
DETAILS
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 360 mins
- Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
- 90 g self-raising flour
- 125 g shredded vegetable suet or grated chilled butter
- 30 g blanched almonds, shredded
- 125 g carrot, grated
- 250 g raisins
- 125 g currants
- 125 g sultanas
- 125 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 0.2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 60 g mixed candied peel, chopped
- 90 g light muscovado sugar
- 1 lemon, grated zest and juice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup butter for greasing
- 75 ml dark rum or brandy
- 1 cup brandy butter, to serve
STEP-BY-STEP
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, suet or butter, almonds, carrot, raisins, currants, sultanas, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, candied peel, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the lemon juice and eggs, and stir until well combined.
- Lightly butter a 1.25 litre (2 pint) pudding bowl. Spoon in the mixture and level the surface. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper, then foil, both pleated in the middle. Secure the paper and foil in place by tying string under the rim of the bowl.
- Put the bowl into a steamer or saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the water comes halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and steam, topping up with boiling water as needed, for about 6 hours.
- Remove the bowl from the steamer or pan and leave to cool. Remove the paper and foil covering. Make a few holes in the pudding with a fine skewer, and pour in the rum or brandy.
- Cover the pudding with fresh greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months. To reheat for serving, steam the pudding for 2-3 hours. Serve at once, with brandy butter.
Recipe taken from Mary Berry Winter Cookbook eBook, published by DK, available to download from the iBookstore and the Amazon Kindle Store.
