When I posted my recipe for Traditional Christmas Pudding a few days ago, I mentioned that there is another pudding which I always make at Christmas and so here it is!!
** I need to mention right at the start that the making of this pud starts 2 days before you are ready to cook it so bear this is mind if you decide to give it a go this Christmas **
It is similar to the traditional recipe in that it contains among other things, dried fruit, citrus zest, mixed spice and breadcrumbs but with an added twist of cocoa powder, chocolate chips and cranberries which give it a zingy flavour.
As this pudding does not contain any alcohol, I generally leave it until the last minute to make it as I can’t guarantee that it will stay fresh for any longer than a normal cake would – it only lasts a few days in our house so would never get the chance to go off!!
I absolutely, LOVE this pudding and I don’t mind admitting that I prefer it to the traditional recipe 🙂
Ingredients:
85g Dried Mixed Fruit
85g Dried Cranberries
Zest and Juice of 2 Clementines
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
100g Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pudding bowl
100g Dark Brown Sugar
50g Self-Raising Flour
1 Tablspn Cocoa Powder
1 Teasp Mixed Spice
2 Eggs, Beaten
1 Eating Apple, Peeled, Cored and grated
50g Fresh White Breadcrumbs
50g Chopped, Mixed Nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts (or 50g Glace Cherries if you prefer)
85g Dark Chocolate Chips
Method:
- Soak the mixed fruit, cranberries and zests in the clementine and lemon juices for 2 days, stirring daily, keeping the bowl covered with a tea towel
- Butter a 1 litre pudding bowl and line the base with a circle of grease-proof paper
- Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and spice, then stir in well before adding the eggs. Mix in the apple, soaked fruits and liquid. Add the breadcrumbs, nuts (or cherries, if using) and chocolate chips, mixing thoroughly.
- Fill the pudding basin with the mixture, then cover with a double thickness of grease-proof paper, pleated in the middle. Cover this with a layer of foil, pleated in the middle, then tie tightly with string.
- Place a saucer in the bottom of a saucepan of steaming water and sit your pudding bowl in on top and ensure the water comes half way up the bowl. Steam for 2 hours making sure the saucepan does not go dry or low in water – top it up from time to time using the water from a boiled kettle
- After 2 hours remove the pudding bowl from the saucepan and leave it, untouched until cold. Remove from the pudding bowl and wrap in fresh grease-proof paper and store until needed
When ready to eat, just simply slice off whatever you need and warm in the microwave. I like to serve this with whipped double cream and custard
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
Bernie xx
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