OooOOoooh How do I love Christmas, spending time with family & friends, relaxing, gift giving, going to church, Christmas Trees, decortations, listening and singing carols oohh i could just go on...
but one of my most favourite things to do is eat Christmas Pudding!! the last couple of years i have decided to make them myself, it is bit time consuming but OH SO delicious!!
I have used a recipe I found on Exclusively Food Blog and Trust me it has never let me down!
Serves about 14
Ingredients :
350g (2 cups) raisins
150g (3/4 cup) sultanas
150g dried dates, chopped
100g glace cherries, chopped
1 small (about 130g) green apple, peeled and grated
50ml (2 1/2 tablespoons) rum, brandy or sherry
170g butter, softened
170g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
3 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
1 tablespoon (30g) golden syrup
225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Method :
1. Stir raisins, sultanas, dates, cherries, apple and rum together in a large bowl until combined, and then set aside until required.
2. Cut a piece of aluminium foil and a piece of non-stick baking paper both about 50cm long and 30cm wide. On a flat surface, place the paper on top of the foil and align the edges. Fold a 5cm wide pleat in the centre of the paper/foil running parallel to the shorter side. The paper/foil is used to cover the pudding while it cooks and the pleat allows for expansion.
3. Grease a 1.5 litre (6 cup) capacity pudding basin or 2 (3 cup) Basins with butter. Cut two strips of baking paper about 2.5cm wide and 50cm long. Press one strip across the base and up the sides of the basin so that the ends overhang on opposite sides of the basin. Repeat with the second strip, placing it at right angles to the first strip. These paper strips are used to help remove the cooked pudding from the basin. Line the base of the basin with a circle of non-stick baking paper then place the circle over the strips.
4. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Stop the machine occasionally and use a spatula to scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about one minute after each addition. Add the golden syrup with the last egg. The mixture may look curdled at this stage.
5. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice together into the bowl with the butter mixture. Stir until combined. Add the flour and butter mixture to the bowl with the fruit and stir until well combined.
6. Spoon the pudding mixture into the prepared pudding basin, firmly pushing the mixture down with the back of the spoon to ensure that there are no air pockets. Smooth the surface of the pudding with the back of the spoon.
7. Place the prepared baking paper and foil over the basin with the baking paper side down. Mould the foil/paper down against the sides of the basin to form a lid.
8. Secure the lid by firmly tying a double-thickness of kitchen string just under the rim of the basin.
9. Trim off excess paper/foil so that only 2cm extends below the around-basin string. Enclosing the baking paper, scrunch the 2cm of foil up to form a good seal to prevent any water from coming in contact with the pudding.
10. Cut a 120cm long piece of string and fold in half. Tie one end of the double-thickness piece of string to the string tied around the basin. Tie the loose end of the double-thickness string to the opposite side of the around-basin string. This forms a handle that you can use to lift the pudding. Repeat the procedure to make another handle at right angles to the first one.
11. Place an upturned saucer or trivet on the base of a large boiler or very large saucepan. Stand pudding basin on saucer or trivet and pour enough boiling water into the boiler or saucepan to come halfway up the side of the basin. Do not allow any string, baking paper or foil to come in contact with the water.
12. Cover the boiler or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (steam vent shut) and boil for 3.5 hours. Top up with boiling water, as necessary, to maintain the water level during cooking.
13. Using the handles, carefully remove the pudding basin from the boiler. Leave pudding to stand for 15 minutes.
14. Remove the string, foil and baking paper from the pudding. The pudding can be removed from the basin and served immediately or stored until required.
but one of my most favourite things to do is eat Christmas Pudding!! the last couple of years i have decided to make them myself, it is bit time consuming but OH SO delicious!!
I have used a recipe I found on Exclusively Food Blog and Trust me it has never let me down!
Serves about 14
Ingredients :
350g (2 cups) raisins
150g (3/4 cup) sultanas
150g dried dates, chopped
100g glace cherries, chopped
1 small (about 130g) green apple, peeled and grated
50ml (2 1/2 tablespoons) rum, brandy or sherry
170g butter, softened
170g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
3 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
1 tablespoon (30g) golden syrup
225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Method :
1. Stir raisins, sultanas, dates, cherries, apple and rum together in a large bowl until combined, and then set aside until required.
2. Cut a piece of aluminium foil and a piece of non-stick baking paper both about 50cm long and 30cm wide. On a flat surface, place the paper on top of the foil and align the edges. Fold a 5cm wide pleat in the centre of the paper/foil running parallel to the shorter side. The paper/foil is used to cover the pudding while it cooks and the pleat allows for expansion.
3. Grease a 1.5 litre (6 cup) capacity pudding basin or 2 (3 cup) Basins with butter. Cut two strips of baking paper about 2.5cm wide and 50cm long. Press one strip across the base and up the sides of the basin so that the ends overhang on opposite sides of the basin. Repeat with the second strip, placing it at right angles to the first strip. These paper strips are used to help remove the cooked pudding from the basin. Line the base of the basin with a circle of non-stick baking paper then place the circle over the strips.
4. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Stop the machine occasionally and use a spatula to scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about one minute after each addition. Add the golden syrup with the last egg. The mixture may look curdled at this stage.
5. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice together into the bowl with the butter mixture. Stir until combined. Add the flour and butter mixture to the bowl with the fruit and stir until well combined.
6. Spoon the pudding mixture into the prepared pudding basin, firmly pushing the mixture down with the back of the spoon to ensure that there are no air pockets. Smooth the surface of the pudding with the back of the spoon.
7. Place the prepared baking paper and foil over the basin with the baking paper side down. Mould the foil/paper down against the sides of the basin to form a lid.
8. Secure the lid by firmly tying a double-thickness of kitchen string just under the rim of the basin.
9. Trim off excess paper/foil so that only 2cm extends below the around-basin string. Enclosing the baking paper, scrunch the 2cm of foil up to form a good seal to prevent any water from coming in contact with the pudding.
10. Cut a 120cm long piece of string and fold in half. Tie one end of the double-thickness piece of string to the string tied around the basin. Tie the loose end of the double-thickness string to the opposite side of the around-basin string. This forms a handle that you can use to lift the pudding. Repeat the procedure to make another handle at right angles to the first one.
11. Place an upturned saucer or trivet on the base of a large boiler or very large saucepan. Stand pudding basin on saucer or trivet and pour enough boiling water into the boiler or saucepan to come halfway up the side of the basin. Do not allow any string, baking paper or foil to come in contact with the water.
12. Cover the boiler or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (steam vent shut) and boil for 3.5 hours. Top up with boiling water, as necessary, to maintain the water level during cooking.
13. Using the handles, carefully remove the pudding basin from the boiler. Leave pudding to stand for 15 minutes.
14. Remove the string, foil and baking paper from the pudding. The pudding can be removed from the basin and served immediately or stored until required.
No comments:
Post a Comment