I’m not a terrible sweet tooth but my mother makes the most heavenly Christmas Pudding! I’m not alone with my sentiments – every Christmas Day none of us can wait to devour Danae’s slow cooked, super moist, delicious pudding, made with love and finished with her famous custard and brandy butter!!!
Top Tips to achieve the Pudding of your dreams:
You can make the fruit and brandy mixture up to a month before you cook the pudding.
Mum uses a tall porcelain bowl – (Max Williams white basics range).
The size is a 16.5 cm circumference. Mum feels this is perfect size.
Be sure to make this beauty at least a full month before Xmas Day with the pre-prepared fruit and brandy mixture.
When you have completed the recipe and pour your ingredients into the pudding basin, be sure to place a circle of baking paper on the surface of the pudding and then cover with TWO layers of foil and tie this securely with string.
The most important step of all – ensure the foil does not touch the water in the saucepan while you slow cook this Xmas Day star!
This recipe makes TWO Christmas puddings.
Ingredients:
500 grams dried pitted dates
500 grams dried figs
300 grams sultanas
400 grams currants
300 grams raisins
500 grams pitted prunes
400 grams butter
1 1/2 cups of firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cups of plain flour
3 tspns mixed spice
3 tspns cinnamon
3 tspns ginger
200 grams chopped macadamia nuts
4 eggs
400 mls brandy
Combine all fruit except prunes making sure the dates and figs have been cut into smaller pieces. Pour over 400mls of brandy and leave to soak in the fridge for up to a month before you make your pudding.
On the day of cooking, grease a large pudding basin with plenty of butter. Line the base with baking paper. Chop the prunes into small pieces and add to other fruit and mix. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift flour and spices, add to butter mixture, add macadamias and mix until combined. If the mixture feels dry, add a little more butter. Stir in the fruit mixture. Spoon the mixture into pudding basin patting down well.
Place a circle of baking paper on the surface of the pudding, cover with two layers of foil and secure with kitchen string. Make sure excess foil is folded back so as to ensure it DOES NOT TOUCH THE WATER.
Place the pudding basin in a large saucepan with a trivet or upturned saucer. Fill the pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the basin and cover with a tight lid. Boil over medium heat for FOUR HOURS or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Make sure you check the water level every 20 to 30 minutes and add more boiling water when needed. Cool then remove foil and baking paper. Cover with cling wrap and store in the fridge.
Brandy Butter
500 grams butter
3 cups icing sugar
150mls Brandy
Beat butter and sugar slowly. Add Brandy. All the brandy may not be needed make sure it is not too liquid but rather a creamy consistency. Pipe onto tray and freeze or place in decorated ice cube trays with Xmas themes.
Christmas Pudding Custard
150ml Milk
250ml double or heavy cream
50g fine caster sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
In a heavy saucepan, place the milk and cream and one tsp of the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, once simmering, turn the heat to its lowest.
In a large heat proof bowl, place the sugar and the egg yolks and with a hand whisk, whisk until light, creamy and paler in colour.
Slowly, whilst still whisking, pour the warmed milk into the egg mixture.
Strain the custard sauce through a fine sieve, back into the saucepan. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod. Over a low heat, stir consistently and gradually the custard will thicken. Do not speed this process up or you run the risk of the sauce curdling or burning.
Finally, once thickened, remove from the heat and pass through a sieve again.