Faithlegg's Christmas Pudding Recipe

The Chat Room

Every second Saturday, Faithlegg's chef Jenny Flynn comes in to The Chat Room to give Maria McCann some of her most loved recipes, check out this week's recipe that you can try out yourself at home.. It's a festive one!

After the madness of Halloween, it's time to soak your fruit for the Christmas pudding!

I keep the fruit in a dark warm place for a week before I make my pudding. The fruit absorbs all the flavour of the alcohol and it re-hydrates the fruit to its former juiciness. I also love the smell.

This will make two 2lb puddings.

Ingredients:

350g Raisins
225g Currants
225g Sultanas
100g Glace Cherries
100g Candied Peel
75g Almonds
400g Breadcrumbs
10g Salt
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
225g Suet
225g Brown Sugar
1 Lg Carrot 185g Grated
1 Cooking Apple
1 Lemon & 1 Orange
2 Tablespoon Black Treacle
100ml Muldoon’s Whiskey
4 Eggs

Method:

Soak all the fruit with all the spices and liquid mix together very thoroughly and leave for a couple of days. Stir it every day don’t forget, everyone in the family must stir and make a wish!

Put the rest of the ingredients in to a large bowl and mix with fruit mixture.

Fill into pudding bowls; if plastic wet the lids, cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper which has been pleated in the centre, and tie it tightly under the rim with cotton twine, making a twine handle also for ease of lifting.

Steam in a covered saucepan of boiling water for 4 hours or less depending on size. The water should come half way up the side of the bowl. Check every hour or so and top up with boiling water if necessary. After 5 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours depending on the size, remove the pudding. Allow to get cold and re-cover with fresh greaseproof paper. Store in a cool dry place until required.

To serve the plum pudding out of the bowl onto a very hot serving plate, pour over some whiskey or brandy and ignite. Serve immediately on very hot plates with brandy butter and fresh cream.