Christmas plum pudding recipe

Rich with dried fruit, glace cherries, and slivered almonds, this Christmas plum pudding is at festive as it gets. Brown ale and Brandy add a boozy flavour.

The cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground coriander combine for a warm, spicy undertone. Plum pudding is an alternative name for classic Christmas pudding. This traditional pud has actually never called for plums in the recipe but is instead named after the old-fashioned word for dried fruit such as currants. At three and a half hours, this recipe calls for significantly less steaming time than many other recipes.

Ingredients

• 100g self raising flour
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 50g ground almonds
• 275g soft dark brown sugar
• 75g suet
• 225g each, raisins, currants and sultanas
• 50g glacé cherries, chopped
• 50g flaked almonds
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• ½tsp ground nutmeg
• ½tsp ground coriander
• ½tsp ground Allspice
• ½tsp salt
• 3 medium eggs
• 45ml (3tbs) Brandy
• 150ml (1/4pt) brown ale

Method

1. To make this steamed pudding, grease the pudding basin.
2. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the brandy and brown ale.
3. Combine the fruit mixture with the egg mixture and stir well. Spoon into the prepared basin and cover loosely with a pleated sheet of greaseproof paper.
4. Secure well with string and top with a second piece of paper. Place in a steamer and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up the sides of the basin.
5. Steam for 3 - 3 hrs 30 mins, topping up with more boiling water when necessary. Cool and wrap in foil and store in a cool dry place. Re-steam the pudding for 1-2 hrs before serving

Top tips for making Christmas plum pudding

To reheat this Christmas plum pudding, simply wrap the leftovers in tinfoil and bake at 150C for one hour. Alternatively, pop the leftovers in a microwavable bowl, cover in cling wrap, and pierce a couple of times. Microwave on high in two-minute increments until piping hot.

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