My Mum's Christmas Pudding recipe is as good as it gets, and is one holiday dessert that I look forward to each and every year.
- 1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ oz/177 g) raisins
- 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) sultanas
- 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) currants
- ¼ cup (1 ¼ oz/35 g) prunes , chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) hard cider
- 1 tablespoon (½ fl oz/15 ml) O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter , softened
- ⅔ cup (4 oz/115 g) dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
- ¾ cup (3 ¾ oz/105 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups (4 ⅜ oz/124 g) fresh bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup (2 ⅔ oz/76 g) ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons (¾ oz/21 g) finely grated bittersweet chocolate
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple (about 5 oz/142 g) , peeled and grated
- ½ teaspoon coffee essence
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In a large bowl, combine the raisins, sultanas, currants and prunes.
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Stir in the lemon zest, juice, cider and O'Driscolls Whiskey. Cover with cling wrap and let the mixture soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer) cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
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Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
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In a large bowl, add the flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt and whisk together to combine.
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Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
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Stir in the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, grated chocolate, grated apple, coffee essence, and soaked fruit and mix until incorporated.
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Cover with cling wrap and let the batter rest on the counter for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Then pour into a 1.5 litre (3 pint) pudding bowl and cover well with aluminum foil.
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Steam for about 2 ½ hours or until the pudding is firm to the touch. (See How to steam a Christmas Pudding for more details). Remove from the pot and allow to cool down completely in the basin.
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Replace the parchment and foil with new pieces. Then store the pudding in a cupboard for as long as 6 months. I personally like to freeze it until I need it.
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On Christmas day, steam again for 1 hour and serve hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- The liquor you need to use is a dark one but you can choose between whiskey, rum, or brandy for your pudding.
- If you don’t have all the dried fruit accessible then you can do one pound of any mixed dried fruit.
- Although not traditional, dried cranberries would make a lovely addition to the pudding in place of some of the dried fruit.
- Make your puddings as early as October giving them time to develop more flavor and nicer, moist texture.
- Baking uses dry heat and can lead to cakes that are less than ideally moist. Steaming a cake, or a pudding as we say, is easy and makes for a seriously moist cake that might just blow your mind. If you want all of my best tips for it, check out my article on How To Steam A Christmas Pudding for an in-depth look at the process.