Pudding recipe

Following last week`s story on Christmas puddings there was a flurry of requests for a recipe. Here is one used by my family over many years, but never followed slavishly. There may be more raisins, currants, carrot, or dried fruit. The choice is yours, you can add glazed cherries, choppd prunes and of course the mixing liquid (rum, brandy, Guiness) is a matter of preference.

INGREDIENTS.

50 gms/2 oz self raising flour

175g/6 oz plain flour

½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp mixed spice

50 gms/2 oz ground almonds

225g/8oz shredded suet (if you are vegetarian use margarine)

22g/8 oz dark brown sugar

100 gms/4o oz two day old breadcrumbs

1.5 kg (3 lbs) mixed fruit—currants, raisins, sultanas.

1 tbsp molasses

1 lemon, skin finely grated plus the juice

1 orange ditto

1 large carrot finely grated

1 large apple peeled, grated

2 tbsp brandy or rum

150 ml/5 fl oz Guinness

4-6 eggs (depending on size) beaten

Flour and butter (for basin)

Use a large bowl and mix together flour baking powder andspices. Stir in almonds, suet, sugar and breadcrumbs. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well after each addition. Cover with plastic wrapandleave in the fridge for at least 24 hours, or up to a week if possible.

Greaseand lightly flour3 1 ½ oint or 2 two-pint basins and pack in the mixture. Top with a circle of waxed paper, then cover with aluminum foil

Fold around edges of the bowl and tie with string. Place in steamer of boiling water for 6-8 hours (top up with water when needed so it doesn’t boil dry). No steamer? Place pudding on upturned saucer in bottom of a saucepan. Leave to cool and replace greaseproof paper and foil. Store in the fridge. On Christmas day steam for 1 ½ -2 hours