Katherine and Margaret, 60, are identical twins - so of course they entered Food Glorious Food together! Their joint dish is a modern take on a family recipe that originates from their grandmother.
As children it was a family Christmas tradition for the twins and their siblings to help their mum make the Christmas pudding. Recently, having discovered their Aunty Betty was a coeliac, they modified the recipe to make it gluten-free so the whole family can enjoy it.
Katherine and Margaret live on the Isle of Wight, where they left their jobs in mental health care, fostering and social housing and started their own gluten-free food business.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
200ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
150g dark brown sugar
4 eggs
300ml orange juice
280g currants
280g sultanas
280g raisins
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground mixed spices
1 tsp ground nutmeg
100g gluten free self-raising flour
200g gluten free breadcrumbs (we blitz our own using gluten free bread)
Cream to serve
Method
1. Grease a 1.2litre (2pint) pudding basin with sunflower oil. Cut circles of greaseproof paper and
muslin large enough to cover the basin with at least 8cm (3in) overhang.
2. Put all the ingredients except the flour and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and set aside to soak for four hours.
3. Stir the flour and breadcrumbs into the soaked mixture and make a wish.
4. Spoon in to the prepared basin, cover with the greaseproof paper and muslin circles and tie securely with kitchen string.
5. Place a trivet or old jam jar lid in a large saucepan, sit the pudding on it, then pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover and simmer for nine hours, checking regularly and topping up the water if necessary.
6. Serve straightaway with cream or store in a dry location and enjoy at any celebration.