Time P1m5DT19h30m Yield 12 Number Of Ingredients 16 Steps:
Gather the ingredients. Place the dried fruit, candied peel, apple, and orange and lemon zests and juices into a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Lightly butter a 2 1/2 pint pudding basin. In a very large mixing bowl, stir the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon together. Add the suet, sugar, breadcrumbs, and almonds, and stir again until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the marinated dried fruits and stir again. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then stir quickly into the dry ingredients. The mixture should have a fairly soft consistency. Spoon the mixture into the greased pudding basin, gently pressing the mixture down with the back of a spoon. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, then a layer of aluminum foil. Tie securely with string, wrapping the string around the basin, then loop over the top and then around the bowl again. This will form a handle, which will be useful when removing the pudding from the steamer. Set a steamer over a saucepan of simmering water, place the pudding in the steamer, and steam the pudding for 7 hours. Make sure you check the water level frequently, so it never boils dry. The pudding should be a dark brown color when cooked. Remove the pudding from the steamer and cool completely. Remove the paper, prick the pudding with a skewer in a few places, and pour in a little extra brandy. Cover with fresh greaseproof paper and retie with string. Store for at least 4 to 5 weeks in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day. On Christmas Day, reheat the pudding by steaming again for about an hour. Enjoy!
Time 3h Yield 10 serving(s) Number Of Ingredients 17 Steps:
Mix all dry ingredients, fruit, raisins, nuts and suet. Add molasses and then milk to rinse all molasse s into the mixture. Mix well. Grease and flour a 3 pound empty Crisco can or similar size, smooth sided can. Put mixture into can. Cover with double thickness of aluminum foil. Tie foil on with string. Set can in large pot or kettle half full of water. Cover and steam 2 1/2 hours after water boils. Serve slices covered with hot vanilla sauce* and real whipped cream. Bring 3 1/2 cups milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Whip sugar and yolks over hot water to lukewarm. Stir in cornstarch to remaining cold milk. Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling mixture and bring to a full boil. Pour the boiling starch-milk over the lukewarm egg-sugar mixture, whisking forcefully. Keep warm on steam table or double boiler. This sauce is good over puddings and souffles.
Time 9h30m Yield 8-10 serving(s) Number Of Ingredients 13 Steps:
Lightly butter a 1.4-litre (21/2-pint) pudding basin. Cut a small square of foil and press into the base of the basin. Measure the sultanas, raisins, apricots and apple into a bowl with the orange juice. Add the measured brandy or rum and leave to marinate for about one hour. Put the measured butter, sugar and grated orange rind into a large bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk until light and fluffy, gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Sift together the flour and mixed spice, then fold into the creamed mixture with the breadcrumbs and the nuts. Add the dried fruits, apple and liquid and stir well. Spoon into the prepared pudding basin, pressing the mixture down, and level the top with the back of a spoon. Cover the pudding with a layer of greaseproof paper and foil, both pleated across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie securely with string and trim off excess paper and foil with scissors***. TO STEAM, put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for about eight hours, topping up the water as necessary. TO BOIL, put a metal jam-jar lid into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet. Put the pudding on to this and pour in enough boiling water to come one-third of the way up the bowl. Cover with a lid, bring the water back to the boil, then simmer for about seven hours, until the pudding is a glorious deep brown colour, topping up the water as necessary. Remove the pudding from the steamer or pan and cool completely. Make holes in the pudding with a fine skewer and pour in a little more brandy or rum to feed. Discard the paper and foil and replace with fresh. Store in a cool, dry place. On Christmas Day, steam or boil the pudding for about an hour to reheat. Turn the pudding on to a serving plate. To flame, warm 3-4 tablespoons brandy or rum in a small pan, pour it over the hot pudding and set light to it. Serve with Rum Sauce or Brandy Butter.
Time 12h55m Yield 8 Number Of Ingredients 18 Steps:
Select a heat-proof bowl of any size or shape and generously grease with butter. Combine dates, apricots, currants, raisins, cranberries, ginger, whiskey, orange zest, and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly to combine. Pour in melted butter and stir until everything is evenly coated. Mix in egg, heavy cream, and buttermilk. Add salt, pecans, bread crumbs, and flour and mix until batter is very thick and sticky. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and press it down to flatten with a spatula. Place a circle of parchment paper over the top and press down to seal. Stretch 2 pieces of plastic wrap over the bowl, then place the bowl on a third piece of plastic wrap. Bring the ends up and over the bowl and seal tightly. Cover the bowl with 2 pieces of foil, then tie a piece of string around and secure tightly. Place in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight. Lay rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Place the wrapped pudding on the rosemary sprigs and fill the Dutch oven halfway with water. Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to medium and steam, covered, for 4 hours, checking every hour to see if you need to add more water. Use kitchen towels and carefully lift the pudding out of the Dutch oven. Snip the string, take off the foil, remove the plastic wrap, and peel off the parchment. Place a plate over the bowl and invert the pudding to unmold. Brush maple syrup over top. Cut and serve immediately.
