Allotments 4 All

Gran's Christmas Pudding

4 1/2 oz ready to eat prunes, chopped
8 oz raisins
8 oz currants
8 oz sultanas
2 oz mixed candied peel (preferably in large pieces), chopped rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 oz chopped almonds
1 cooking apple (approx 4 1/2 oz) peeled, cored and grated
1 medium carrot (approx 2 3/4 oz)
8 oz molasses sugar
8 oz suet
4 1/2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
4 1/2 oz plain flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground corinader
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1/4 pint strong ale
1 tablespoon black treacle

1.  In a bowl put the first 9 ingredients in the list and mix well together.
2. In bowl two, put the next seven ingredients and mix together.
3. Mix together the contents of bowls one and two, the easiest way is with clean hands.
4. In a basin put the eggs and ale and whisk together and stir into the mixture.  Stir in the black treacle.
5. Cover and leave to stand in a cool place overnight.
6. Butter the pudding basin and put a circile of greaseproof paper in the base.
7. Pack the mixture into the bason and smooth the top.  Leave a 2.5cm head space.
8. Cut a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment into a 33cm circle.  Make a pleat and cover the pudding.  Tie with string around the edge then tie with more string and make a handle so that  it can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.
9.  Put the basin in the top of a steamer of simmring water and steam  for the required time. (2 pints - 4-6 hours) (1 pint - 2-3 hours)  Keep the water topped up!
10.  Leave to cool, then rewrap in greaseproof and then wrap tightly in foil.
11.  Steam for 2 hours before serving.

Hope this is okay peeps.  I do have a quick one from the WI book which can be made on the day!  If you want it, I can type it up.

Great.  Thanks EJ.  I've done Delia's for 20 years now and have felt for sometime I'd like a change.  Gran's xmas pud here we come....

Cheers me dears, will get it done this week, just one question though and I know this will sound a little dumb but after the pudding has cooled and you re-wrap is this done while pudding in the bowl or do you remove pudding and then re-wrap and how long will it take to re-heat on Chrissy Morn.

I know its probably a stupid one but please excuse my ignorance :)

Cor..Cheers Emma, looks like a real good-un. ;D

                                 

                             (http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/2107/img06fp.gif) (http://imageshack.us)
Christmas pudding...christmas pudding...chris

I think they meant remove the top greaseproof after steaming, and put a new greaseproof lid on, so leave the pud in the basin.  Then steam for 2 hours on Chrissy day, altho my nan swears by her microwave for this job!  ;D

Thanks :D