Christmas Pudding

My apprentice chef, Tiff, cooked plum pudding yesterday. I got a recipe off the radio the other day, and she was so keen to cook it, that I let her do the whole lot. I got to check the water level whilst it boiled for 6 hrs.
She was so excited to see what it tasted like that she wanted some for breakfast. She made 2 so we heated one up for desert tonight, other than the fact that I busted it trying to tip it out it was pretty good.

Brandied fruit.

Creaming butter and sugar.

Cracking eggs.

Adding all other ingredients.

Taste testing.

Filling bowls

Ready for cooking

Hmmm. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Yum.

Christmas Pudding.

By;

Roger Bayley

Featured by;

Sophie Longdon

ABC SE NSW

Ingredients;

750g Mixed dried fruit

100g pitted prunes, chopped

100g dates, chopped

250g butter

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

4 extra large eggs

1/2 cup brandy

1 cup plain flour

1 teasp mixed spice

1/2 teasp cinnamon

1/2 teasp nutmeg

1/2 teasp bicarb of soda

50g slivered almonds

1 cup fine white breadcrumbs

Method;

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in the fruit, brandy, sifted dry ingredients, slivered almonds and breadcrumbs.

2. Place mixture into a greased 2 litre pudding basin, or 2 smaller basins, cover top with a round of baking paper. Cover with foil and tie a pudding cloth over top.

3. Place in a large saucepan with enough water to come halfway up the basin. Boil for 6 hrs making sure the water level remains constant by adding more boiling water as necessary.

4. When cooked, leave to cool and replace the foil and cloth with clean and place in refridgerator until required.

5. On day of serving re-boil pudding for a further 1 hr. Serve wtih brandy sauce, custard or cream.