Christmas Pudding

Method

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1. Put all the dried fruit and the peel in a large bowl, pour over the brandy, cover and leave overnight.

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2. The next day, mix in the grated butter, sugar, eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, spices, salt, grated apple, almonds, zests, orange juice and treacle. Give everyone in the house a stir and a wish, which is the tradition and also gets it properly mixed.

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3. Butter a 1.5 litre pudding basin heavily and line the base with a disc of baking paper.

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4. Pack the mixture in, pressing down to remove air pockets, and level the top.

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5. Cover with a pleated double layer of baking paper and foil — the pleat lets it expand — and tie tightly under the rim with string, making a handle across the top.

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6. Set the basin on a trivet or an upturned saucer in a deep pan, pour in boiling water to come two-thirds up the sides, and cover.

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7. Steam 6 hours, topping up with boiling water every hour. It must never boil dry and the water must never stop simmering.

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8. Lift out, cool completely, then re-cover with fresh paper and foil and store somewhere cool and dark.

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9. Feed it with a tablespoon of brandy every fortnight if you have made it early.

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10. On the day, steam for a further 2 hours to reheat, turn out onto a warm plate, and flame with 3 tablespoons of warmed brandy.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Make it in November if you can. Six weeks of maturing is the difference between good and remarkable.
• Check the water every hour without fail. A pan that boils dry cracks the basin and ruins the pudding.
• Warm the brandy before lighting it — cold spirit will not catch.

Pairing Suggestions

• Brandy butter and cream
• A glass of sweet Madeira
• Strong coffee

Storage & Reheating

Wrapped and cool for up to a year, fed with brandy every few weeks. Once cooked and cut, refrigerated for a week.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.