Christmas Pudding

If you are running out of time but still would like to enjoy a homemade Christmas Pudding, this is the perfect recipe. It’s moist, packed with lots of fruit and is delicious served with our Proper Homemade Custard or try nutmeg crème fraîche!

Ingredients

Oil for greasing
150g self-raising flour
1 x 5ml spoon mixed spice
1 x 5ml spoon baking powder
50g unsaturated fat spread
2 eggs
1 x 410g jar ready-made mincemeat
4 x 15ml spoons black treacle
100ml cold tea
1 small cooking apple
100g currants
95g raisins
1 lemon (zest only)
1 orange (zest only)

Equipment

Weighing scales
200ml individual foil or microwave-safe pudding basin x 8 or 1.5 pint basin x 2
Pastry brush
Greaseproof paper
Scissors
Large mixing bowl
Sieve
Measuring spoons
Fork
Small bowl
Wooden spoon
Electric whisk (optional)
Measuring jug
Vegetable peeler
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Grater
Foil
Large shallow roasting dish
Oven gloves
Pan stand
Table knife
Serving dish x 8

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan or gas mark 4.
2. Grease the pudding basins with the oil. Cut circles of greaseproof paper to fit the top and smaller circles to fit in the base of each basin, then grease each circle. Put a small circle in the base of each basin.
3. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the mixed spice and baking powder and mix well.
4. In a small bowl beat the eggs with a fork, add the eggs and the 50g softened spread to the flour. Mix well using a wooden spoon (or electric whisk) until combined.
5. Add the mincemeat, black treacle and cold tea and mix well.
6. Peel, core and finely chop the apple.
7. Add 75g of the apple to the bowl, together with the currants and raisins and mix well.
8. Using a grater, zest the orange and lemon, then add to the bowl and mix the pudding to combine all the ingredients.
9. Divide the mixture equally between the greased basins.
10. Cover each basin with one of the small circles of greaseproof paper.
11. Cover each basin with a square piece of foil. Make a pleat in the middle of the foil and fold under the edges of the basin using a pleating motion to seal.
12. Place the basins in a shallow roasting tin and place in a preheated oven. Pour 2cm of boiling water into the tin and bake for 50 minutes (if making 2 large Christmas Puddings, bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes). To test if the pudding is cooked, gently skewer through the middle, f it comes out clear then it is cooked, if it is sticky then it needs a bit longer in the oven.
13. Allow the puddings to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully run a table knife around the edge of the puddings and turn them out onto a serving plate.
14. Serve with Proper Homemade Custard or a little reduced-fat crème fraîche mixed with grated nutmeg.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, peeling, chopping, grating, sifting, beating, mixing/combining,
baking and serving.

Top Tips

• The small circles of greaseproof paper in the base of the basins guarantee the puddings turn out perfectly.
• Use an electric whisk or mixer if one is available.

Something to try next time

• Use 195g of dried mixed fruit as an alternative to currants and raisins.
• To make one pudding, brush a 3 pint Pyrex bowl with oil and fill with the pudding mix. Cover with greased tinfoil. Stand the bowl in a 60mm roasting tin. Fill the tin with boiling water. Place in an oven preheated to 160°C/140°C fan or gas mark 3 and allow the pudding to steam bake until cooked. Test the pudding is cooked in the middle. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Prepare now, eat later

• Prepare and cook the Christmas Puddings upto 2 days before, refrigerate, remove from the foil containers and reheat in the microwave for
  2 minutes on full power (timing based on an 800W microwave).