COUNTRY PRODUCTS CHRISTMAS PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

110g (4oz) Country Products sultanas

110g (4oz) Country Products raisins

275g (10oz) Country Products currants

110g (4oz) Country Products prunes, chopped

110g (4oz) Country Products apricots, chopped

25g (1oz) Country Products whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped

25g (1oz) Country Products chopped almonds,

1 tsp Country Products ground mixed spice

¼ tsp Country Products ground nutmeg

½ level tsp Country Products ground cinnamon

150ml Hambleton Ales Black Lightning Beer

2 tbsp brandy/dark rum

225g (8oz) Country Products dark brown soft sugar

110g (4oz) Country Products Shredded vegetarian suet

50g (2oz) Self-raising flour, sifted

110g (4oz) white breadcrumbs

1 small Bramley cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange

Grated zest 1 large lemon

2 Large eggs, beaten

METHOD

Begin by placing all the fruits and spices together into a large mixing bowl.

Pour in the beer and rum/brandy and mix thoroughly.

Leave to marinate for a couple of hours, or overnight in a cool place until the fruit has absorbed the beer.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sugar, suet, flour and breadcrumbs, and add to the soaked fruit mixture. Mix well.

Add the chopped apple together with the orange zest and juice and just the lemon zest, followed by the beaten eggs.

Stir the mixture well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Now, make your wish! At this point, you might like to follow the old tradition of hiding a coin in the mixture – you will need to wrap it well in foil. Use a 10p piece – do make sure you warn people that they might find it!

The mixture should have a fairly sloppy consistency (it should drop easily from a spoon). You can always add a little more liquid if necessary.

Place the mixture firmly into a 1.2 litre (2 pint) lightly greased basin and smooth the top down well (if this is too big for you, you could always use 2 x 1 pint pudding basins instead).

If using a plastic basin with a lid, snap the lid on firmly.

Alternatively, if using a Pyrex/Ceramic pudding basin, you will need to seal the top with one layer of baking parchment, followed by a layer of foil. Place your opened hand over the top of the basin and with the other hand, scrunch the foil and baking parchment together, and tuck tightly around the top of the pudding basin.

To steam the pudding. If you have a ‘Steamer’, place it over a pan of boiling water. Place the pudding in the top of the steamer and cover with the lid. Alternatively, stand the pudding in a deep heavy based pan, pour enough boiling water around the pudding to come approximately half way up the basin. Cover the pan with a lid, or a thick dome of foil.

You will need to steam for approx. 7-8 hours.

NB: It is really important to keep checking the water level in the pan and keep topping it up. The water in the base of the pan must not boil dry

When the pudding is ready, allow it to cool, then remove the covers and replace with new ones.

Store in a cool place away from sunlight until needed.

The puddings will need to be re-steamed before serving on Christmas Day. To cook, once again place a steamer over a pan of boiling water.

Place the pudding in the steamer and turn the temperature down to a gentle simmering heat (or place the pudding into a heavy based pan as before).

Cover and leave to steam for 2 ¼ hours, topping up water levels as necessary. To serve, remove the pudding from the steamer, and take off the wrapping.

Slide a palette knife around the inside of the basin, and turn out onto a warmed plate.

Warm a ladleful of brandy over direct heat, and before transferring to the table, light the brandy. Pour the flaming brandy over the pudding and sides and once the flames have died down, you can serve the pudding with rum sauce or brandy butter.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!