Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Recipe

Name: Ice Cream Christmas Pudding
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 7 h
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 150 g mixed dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins and currants; 50 g glacé cherries, chopped; 80 ml orange juice; Finely grated zest of 1 orange; 1 ½ litres good-quality vanilla ice cream; 50 g flaked almonds, toasted; 60 g dark chocolate, finely chopped; Fresh cherries and a sprig of holly, to decorate

Why This Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Recipe Works

A traditional English Christmas pudding is a very rich, dark, steamed, heavy dessert that was designed for a cold December, and in Australia, where Christmas falls in high summer and the dinner is often eaten outside in temperatures of 30°C or more, a lot of people quietly skip it. The ice cream Christmas pudding is the answer. It looks like the traditional pudding, round, dark and speckled with fruit and turned out with a sprig of holly on top, but it is made from vanilla ice cream folded through dried fruit that has been soaked in orange juice, plus chocolate and nuts, and frozen in a pudding basin. It gives you the taste of Christmas without the heat, and it has become a summer holiday tradition, and it is one of the easiest and most forgiving desserts to make ahead, as it lives in the freezer for weeks. The technique is only to soften the ice cream just enough to mix, which takes about ten minutes at room temperature, and to work quickly so that it does not melt. The fruit is soaked first so it is plump and does not freeze into hard little pellets. Line the basin with cling film so that the pudding turns out neatly, and give it a good six hours to freeze solid. Decorate with fresh cherries and a sprig of holly, taking care not to eat the holly.

How to Make Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

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Mix the dried fruit, glacé cherries, orange juice and orange zest in a bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes, stirring once.
Line a 1.5 litre pudding basin with 2 layers of cling film, leaving plenty overhanging the sides.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes, until soft enough to stir but not melted.
Tip the ice cream into a large chilled bowl, add the soaked fruit with any juice, the almonds and the chocolate and fold quickly until evenly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into the basin, pressing it down well to remove any air pockets, and level the top. Fold the cling film over the top to cover it.
Freeze for at least 6 hours, until completely solid.
To serve, unfold the cling film, dip the basin briefly in warm water for 10 seconds and invert it onto a chilled plate. Lift off the basin and cling film, decorate with cherries and holly, and serve in wedges.

Tips for Making Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Soak the fruit before mixing it in. Dried fruit added dry freezes into hard, chewy lumps, but soaked fruit stays plump and soft.
Work fast and keep the bowl cold. If the ice cream melts, refreeze the bowl for 20 minutes before continuing, or the pudding will be icy.
Add a tablespoon or two of dark rum to the soaking fruit for the grown-up version. It gives the flavour of a traditional pudding.

What to Serve with Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Fresh cherries
Chocolate sauce
Fresh berries

Storing & Reheating Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Keeps wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 month. Turn out and slice just before serving, and refreeze any leftovers as soon as possible.

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Ice Cream Christmas Pudding take to make?

About 30 minutes of hands-on work — 30 minutes of preparation and of cooking — plus 6 hours 30 minutes of Soaking and freezing, so allow 7 hours from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.

What are the key tips for making Ice Cream Christmas Pudding?

Soak the fruit before mixing it in. Dried fruit added dry freezes into hard, chewy lumps, but soaked fruit stays plump and soft. Work fast and keep the bowl cold. If the ice cream melts, refreeze the bowl for 20 minutes before continuing, or the pudding will be icy. Add a tablespoon or two of dark rum to the soaking fruit for the grown-up version. It gives the flavour of a traditional pudding.

What should I serve with Ice Cream Christmas Pudding?

Fresh cherries; Chocolate sauce; Fresh berries.

Can Ice Cream Christmas Pudding be made ahead or frozen?

Keeps wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 month. Turn out and slice just before serving, and refreeze any leftovers as soon as possible.

Is Ice Cream Christmas Pudding suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is vegetarian and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Ice Cream Christmas Pudding?

About 285 kcal per serving, with 4 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate and 13 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Nutrition

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

285Calories

4gProtein

38gCarbs

13gFat

2gFibre

32gSugar

60mgSodium

Vegetarian No Added Sugar

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

How to Make Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Tips for Making Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

What to Serve with Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Storing & Reheating Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding FAQ: Common Questions

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Tips for Making Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

What to Serve with Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Storing & Reheating Ice Cream Christmas Pudding

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding FAQ: Common Questions

Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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