Irish Baker Abroad Christmas Pudding Recipe
250g raisins
250g currants
250g sultanas
170g muscavado dark brown sugar
6 tbsp brandy
170ml Guinness
170g of ground almonds
200g of nibbed Almonds
200g fresh white breadcrumbs
85g plain flour
170g of Suet or frozen butter grated (I used Lurpak )
1 tsp of nutmeg
1.5 tsp of cinnamon
3 tsp of mixed spice
85g of chopped glace cherries
85g of mixed peel
5 large free-range eggs beaten
1 orange. Zest and juice
1 lemon. Zest and juice
Day 1
In a large bowl combine the dried fruit, brown sugar, brandy and Guinness. Cover and leave overnight
Day 2
Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. If you can get your hands on some Suet go for it. I was a bit behind and couldn’t get any on time. You can use beef or vegetable suet packaged or fresh from your local butcher. You can also use shortening as a substitute. This is all a matter of preference. Go with what you like
I couldn’t get any currants so I went with half raisins and half sultanas.
Instead of brandy you can also use Rum, whiskey, sherry to name a few. Again it’s all a matter of preference
I used a 2L bowl. It’s a bowl I normally use to mix and weigh ingredients in. Use what ya have! The bowl had a nice shape so I made the recipe to fit it.
Grease the bowl generously with butter. Add the pudding mixture and smooth out with a spatula. The bowl is 20cm in diameter so I cut out a 30cm circle of baking paper and I made a pleat in the center to allow for expansion. I then covered it with two sheets of tinfoil
Afterwards I took a long piece of twine which I tied around, lifted back over and tied again on the opposite side to make a handle.
I simmered the pudding for 6 hours in a large pot filled with water two thirds of the way up with a small saucer facing downward acting as a trivet between the pudding and the pot. Check the water level every hour or so and top up If needed
If you have a cooking thermometer you can check the temperature. The internal temperature should be between 70-90 C
I turned the pudding out afterwards and let it cool before dusting with icing sugar and placing the fresh holly on top
This was for show. Afterwards Alanna dusted off the icing sugar and packed the pudding away, wrapping it in parchment paper followed by tin foil. She then placed it in an airtight container.
Normally these are made a few months in advance. But hey, when you think of it…we’re well ahead for Christmas 2023! 😉
Have a good one!
All the best
Chris, Luana, Alanna & Benji
7 дек 2022
