This rich Christmas pudding is steamed in a basin rather than a pudding cloth.
The pudding improves with keeping for at least three months and is particularly good served with rum butter, custard, almond hard sauce or just plain cream.
250 (8 oz) of raisins chopped.
50 (2 oz) candied peel chopped
250 grams ( 8 oz ) currants
250 grams sultanas
3 generous tablespoons of good rum or brandy.
250 grams ( 8 oz ) of butter
250 grams ( 8 oz ) of brown sugar
The grated rind of one orange and one lemon
Four eggs
50 grams (2 oz) of blanched almonds, chopped
One cup of plain flour
one half teaspoon of each of salt, mixed spice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda
125 grams (4 oz ) of soft bread crumbs
Mix the fruit together, sprinkle with the spirituous liquor of your choice and leave overnight.
The next day cream the butter and sugar with the fruit rinds,
Then add the eggs,and stir in the fruit and blanched chopped almonds,alternating with the sifted dry ingredients including the bread crumbs.
Put the mixture into a large well buttered pudding basin lined with a circle of greased greaseproof paper cut to fit the inside base of the basin. Cover with another circle of greased greaseproof paper to fit the top of the pudding basin. Now cover the basin top with a cloth which has been immersed in boiling water, wrung out and then lightly floured. Tie this down firmly with string or cover over with a large sheet of aluminium foil - we prefer the string system.
Place the basin of mixture in a preserving pan or large saucepan, fill with boiling water to halfway up the pudding basin and steam for 6 (six) hours, adding more boiling water as required to maintain the water level in the pan
When cooked remove from the water and allow to cool .
When cold remove the covering , cover the pudding with fresh greaseproof paper and then replace the cloth cover and tie up as before.
Put the pudding into a pan of boiling water as described earlier in the recipe and allow to steam for two and one half hours.
When ready turn the pudding out on to a heated serving plate.
place a cube of sugar on top-Now warm a little rum or brandy in a small saucepan. Pour over the pudding, set alight and serve immediately.--------- Eets smakkelijkl