Lighter Christmas pudding
A British Christmas meal wouldn't be the same without Christmas pudding. This version is on the lighter side but packed with wonderful fruit and gentle spice flavor.
Servings: 8 approx
Calories: 487kcal
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raisins can you a mix of regular and golden/sultanas if you like
- ½ cup candied peel see notes
- ½ cup dried figs
- ½ cup dried apricots
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ¾ cup grated apple ¾ cup is approximately 1 small or ½ large apple
- 1 cup grated carrot 1 cup is roughly 1 large carrot
- 1 orange juice and zest ie from 1 orange
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter grated, or more traditionally, beef suet
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup soft brown sugar or can use up to a third amount white sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
At least 1 day before needed
- Chop the dried candied peel, figs (removing any tough stem) and apricots to roughly the same size as the raisins and mix all the dried fruit and brandy together. Leave overnight, stirring now and again so as much of the fruit as possible can soak up the brandy.
On day (or further ahead of time)
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients - apple, carrot, orange juice and zest, suet, breadcrumbs, sugar, flour, eggs, baking powder and spices. The eggs can either be beaten separately first or put in last and break them up a bit before you combine everything (my less washing up version!).
- Add the soaked dried fruit and mix well. Grease a 1.2 liter/3 pint pudding bowl and if you can, I recommend placing a circle of greaseproof paper in the middle to cover what will be the top to help it release more easily (I nearly always forget and regret it). Then transfer the pudding mixture to a pudding bowl, pack down and smooth the top.
- Cover the bowl with greaseproof/parchment paper, making a fold in the paper over the middle and tie string/twine around the paper to hold the paper on. Make a string handle and trim the paper - see picture above.
- Place the bowl in a steamer - can improvise using a regular large pan and something to raise the bowl off the bottom - and steam for at least 5 hours, checking the water level occasionally to ensure it doesn't go dry.
- Once finished, allow to cool, remove the greaseproof/parchment paper and put on a new paper lid and store in a cool dark place until ready to use. It will keep for a good few weeks.
Before serving
- When ready to use, steam again for at least 1 ½ to 2 hours, making a minimum of 7 hours in total.
- Once it has finished steaming, remove the lid, loosen from the bowl and place a plate over the bowl. Tip over the plate and bowl so the pudding falls onto the plate, helping it as needed as you remove the bowl.
- To serve, heat some brandy in a small pan, set light to the brandy and pour over the pudding. Once the flames have died down, cut slices and serve with brandy butter or cream.
Notes
Note: you will need a roughly 1.25-1.5 litre/ 3 pint pudding bowl - a glass bowl with a decent 'lip' on the outside is fine - greaseproof/parchment paper and a steamer to cook this.
If you can't find good quality candied peel - don't use the kind that's all died bright colors - then I have also substituted dried papaya with good success here.
Traditionally you make this with suet but I have found it harder and harder to find. Butter is not quite the same when mixing but the end flavor is still good and broadly the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 2833IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 3mg
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