Seems odd doesn’t it to be talking about Christmas so soon, but in a cooking sense it all begins now with the Christmas cake and puddings needing time to mature.
For those of you that used to buy my Christmas puddings in the old Deli days, I’ve always promised to share the recipe and for some reason never got around to it. This pudding is light and full of flavour unlike the dark, heavy ones that use shredded suet. For me these work so much better for our New Zealand Christmas, leaving you able to move afterwards instead of anchored to the sofa.
There are many people who claim to loathe Christmas pudding, in most cases I suspect that they have never tasted a real one, only the heavy and flavourless commercial version. Food processors offer us a vast range at different prices and qualities but this one should come with a warning, once you’ve made it at home you’ll never be able to buy one again.
Enjoy
The ‘Ultimate’ Christmas Pudding
Makes 2 x 1.8kg puddings
350g grated fresh breadcrumbs
625g each of raisins and sultanas
560g Demerara sugar
175gchopped almonds
175g mixed peel
250g grated cold butter
1 tsp mixed spice
20g each grated lemon zest and orange zest
175g glace cherries
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons lemon juice
200ml cognac
175ml sherry
Method
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the liquid ingredients and mix well again. Fill 2 buttered pudding basins and tie foil across the top with a pleat to allow the pudding enough room to expand. Steam in a covered pan with water coming halfway up the basin sides for 6 hours, topping up water as necessary. Store in an airy place for 3 months to 1 year. Steam for 1 hour on day of eating or microwave for 5 to 6 mins.
Like snuggling around an open fire in winter, the Dark Spice liqueur from Distillerie Deinlein is warm enough to make you hope for bad weather and cold evenings every day. Its warm, smooth, seductive flavours come from the most unlikely hero …..the walnut! And what’s more it’s local.
Leave a Reply
*
Be the first to comment.