Whip up a yuletide classic with this recipe for an old fashioned Christmas pudding
A Christmas pudding is one of the classic symbols of a traditional British Christmas dinner. This centuries-old combination of dried fruit, festive spice and a good glug of rum has been a staple of festive gatherings for generations - and although many of us now buy our puddings ready-made, it's so easy to make your own!
Read on for our simple Christmas pudding recipe...
Mix all of the ingredients together and pack into 1 large (1.5L) or in two small (600ml) glass or earthenware basins.
Take a double sheet of baking or greaseproof paper several cm larger than the basin top. Make a 2cm pleat in the paper (to allow the pudding space to rise). Cover the top of the basin with the paper and tie tightly round the rim using cooking string.
Place in a pan large enough to contain the basin and add boiling water up to half the height of the basin. Place on the stove and bring back to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the pudding for 6 hours for the large pudding or 4 hours for the smaller ones. Ensure that the water is kept topped up during this time. Tip: adding a little vinegar to the water stops pans from discolouring
Leave the pudding to cool overnight. Remove the greaseproof paper and then discard. Cover the basin again in the same way with fresh, pleated baking paper tied tightly. To store the pudding, wrap the whole basin in cling film or foil until it is ready to reheat.
To reheat, remove the cling film and foil, stand the basin again in boiling water and simmer for 2 hours. To serve, slide a palette knife around the edge of the pudding, place a plate over the basin and invert it onto the plate.