This is the best Christmas pudding ever - it’s my grandma’s recipe and she was the person who made me love baking so this is always a special one.
With only five weeks until Christmas, now is the time to make your Christmas puddings if you haven’t already yet so that they’re extra delicious by the big day!
Now the question is, do you prefer custard or brandy sauce with your Christmas pudding?!
Jill Stewart (@jillbakes_)
County Antrim Foodie and Instagrammer
INGREDIENTS…
Makes two 2lb puddings
260g white breadcrumbs
120g ground almonds
260g suet
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
260g soft brown sugar
260g dark brown sugar
225g sultanas
225g currants
225g raisins
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 2 oranges
1 cooking apple, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp warm treacle
5 dessertspoons Cointreau
1 tbsp Brandy
5 eggs, beaten
INSTRUCTIONS…
1. Make the breadcrumbs in a food processor.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a very large bowl - the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, suet, spices and sugar first, then the dried fruit, chopped apple and zests.
3. Heat the treacle in a small bowl in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until runny.
4. Then add the treacle, lemon juice, Brandy, Cointreau and eggs into the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
5. Grease two 2lb pudding bowls with butter. Add a small circle of greaseproof paper into the bottom of each. Then split the mixture between the two bowls.
6. For each pudding, take two sheets of greaseproof paper and pleat across the middle to allow for expansion. Grease one side with butter and then cover the pudding with the greased side down. Add a layer of tin foil over this and tie with string around the rim and then add a handle. (There are great video tutorials of how to do this online.)
7. Set a plate upside down into the bottom of two large saucepans. Set the puddings onto the plates.
8. Fill the saucepans with boiling water until half the pudding bowls are covered. Cover with the lids. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Steam for 4 1/2 hours over a low heat. Keep an eye every so often incase the water dries up and you need to add more. Check a skewer comes out clean.
9. Once cooked, serve and enjoy, or if you want to keep them until Christmas, allow them to cool in the bowls. Then cover with a fresh layer of greaseproof paper and tin foil. The puddings will keep in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 3 months.
10. Once a week, feed your puddings with 1 tbsp Brandy piercing holes in the puddings using a skewer.
11. When you want to serve, either steam the whole pudding for about an hour or simply warm portions in the microwave. Serve with Brandy sauce or butter, custard or cream.
MEET JILL STEWART…
Jill Stewart, from Portglenone, is a true Foodie who brings her passions together to create a unique balance of both healthy dishes and sweet treats on her Instagram social media blog, Jill Bakes.
Jill is passionate about creating and sharing recipes on her Instagram platform (@jillbakes_) which are easy to follow, quick to make and not using hundreds of ingredients! And with 48,000 followers, a lot of people are enjoying Jill’s food journey.
The County Antrim lady has been a keen baker from a very young age, learning many skills from her late Grandma who was a fantastic baker.
Jill is a regular recipe contributor for Ireland’s Homes Interiors and Living magazine.
CLICK HERE to head over to INSTAGRAM to discover JILL BAKES - it is a fantastic blog where you'll discover enough inspiration to keep you baking and cooking for months!