Make this pudding for this Christmas or next, it stores for up to a year!
Ingredients
Before you start...
The ingredients will need to be mixed together and left to stand for 24 hours before using.
- 175 g6 oz beef suet
- 55 g2 oz self-raising flour
- 55 g2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 115 g4 oz dried figs, chopped
- 115 g4 oz pitted prunes, chopped
- 175 g6 oz raisins
- 55 g2 oz each of chopped mixed peel and chopped semi-dried apricots
- 25 g1 oz ground almonds
- 115 g4 oz soft brown unrefined sugar
- Finely grated rind of 1 orange
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 55 g2 oz apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 55 g2 oz carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 1 egg, beaten
- A pinch of salt
- 55 g2 oz unsalted butter, to grease
To serve:
- 55 g2 oz caster sugar
- 3 tbsp brandy
Method: How to make Brian Turner’s Christmas Pudding
Chop the suet finely if fresh, and put in a large bowl. Add the flour, breadcrumbs and dried fruit, chopped where necessary. Mix in the ground almonds, sugar, orange and lemon rind and the spice. Add the grated apple and carrot, the syrup, brandy, egg and salt. Mix well.
When all the ingredients are in, leave to stand, covered, for 24 hours.
Butter a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding bowl. Spoon in the pudding mixture. Cover the pudding with buttered greaseproof paper: put a pleat in the middle of this to allow for expansion during cooking. Then cover with a cloth and tie.
Put the pudding in a steamer (or on an upturned saucer in a saucepan), and steam for 6 hours. Make sure the steamer does not boil dry. Top up with water if necessary.
After 6 hours, take the pudding out and leave to cool. When cold take off the paper and cloth, and wrap in clean paper. Store away in a cool place: this pudding could be stored for a year without problem.
To serve, steam again for about 2 hours. Unwrap and put on a Christmas plate. Get someone to turn the lights down or out.
Sprinkle the pudding with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the brandy. Heat a metal ladle and take away from the heat. Carefully and quickly pour the remaing 2 tablespoons of brandy into the ladle. Put the ladle over the flame or ignite with a match, then pour over the pudding. Take into the darkened dining room, and parade the pudding before cutting into it!
