Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

It's time for this week's Food Friday recipe and this week we're looking ahead to Christmas along with Jill Vickers in her kitchen in Smeeton Westerby near Market Harborough....

Christmas Pudding x 2

Makes 2 x 450g puddings

225g sultanas
225g currants
225g raisins
110g glace cherries halved
225g brown sugar
140 g breadcrumbs
140g self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
110g almonds, chopped
175 g butter, melted
3 eggs
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
½ small can of guinness (300ml)
A little milk
1 tablespoons whiskey

Method

Place the sultanas, currants, raisins and cherries in a bowl. Add the sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, spices and chopped almonds and mix well. Melt the butter and beat the eggs lightly. Add the butter, eggs, orange juice and zest and Guinness plus the whiskey to the dry mix and stir thoroughly. If the mixture seems a little dry, moisten with milk.

Spoon into 2 x 450g pudding bowls. Place a double piece of parchment paper over the bowl with a fold half way to allow for expansion, followed by a double piece of foil, again with a fold and then tie with string. Steam for 4 – 5 hours, then leave the pudding to go cold. Store in a dry cool place until required.

On Christmas Day, place the pudding in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to reach 2/3 up the sides of the pudding basin. Simmer over a gentle heat for 1.5 hour making sure it does not boil dry. Serve with custard, brandy sauce or cream.

Flaming the Christmas Pudding

This will impress your guests. Warm a ladleful of brandy over a direct heat and as soon as the brandy is hot, ask someone to set light to it using a long match. Place the ladle, now gently flaming, on top of the pudding – but don’t pour the brandy over until you reach the table. When you do, pour it slowly over the pudding, sides and all, and watch it flame.

Show less