Christmas Pudding With A Boozy Twist


Christmas pudding with a sprig of holly

It’s not so difficult to make a delicious, fruity Christmas pud with a hint (or more) of alcohol…

Serves 8
Ready in 5 hours

Ingredients:

  • A little Trex, for greasing
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • ¼tsp salt
  • 1tsp ground mixed spice
  • 75g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 75g Trex, at room temperature
  • 150g dark muscovado sugar
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 medium orange
  • 75g carrot, coarsely grated
  • 150g currants
  • 150g sultanas
  • 150g raisins
  • 2tbsp dark rum or brandy

TOP TIP: add 150ml of dark rum or brandy for an extra boozy pudding!

To Make:

  1. Grease either 1 x 1.25 litre or 2 x 600ml pudding basins with a little Trex.
  2. Sift the flour, salt and spice into a bowl, then stir in the breadcrumbs.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the Trex and sugar together until light in texture and paler in colour. Gradually beat in the eggs.
  4. Then stir in the breadcrumb mixture with the orange zest, orange juice and grated carrot. Add the dried fruit and rum or brandy, mixing them in thoroughly.
  5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared basins, pressing it down firmly. Cover the basins securely with greased greaseproof paper, tie on with string, then cover them tightly with pieces of foil.
  6. Place the basins in a steamer, cover with the lid and steam steadily for 4-5 hours, taking care that the steamer does not boil dry – top up with boiling water as necessary. (The longer the cooking time, the darker the puddings).
  7. Cool the puddings, then remove the foil and re-cover with fresh pieces. Store in a cool, dry cupboard for up to 4 months.
  8. To reheat, steam the puddings for 2 hours. Serve with brandy butter, rum sauce or fresh cream.

Sarah Proctor

I've worked on a variety of regional newspapers and national magazines. My Weekly and Your Best Ever Christmas are fantastic, warm-hearted brands with an amazing, talented team. I'm a sub-editor and particularly love working on cookery, fiction and advice pages - I feel I should know all the secrets of eternal life, health and happiness by now, but hey, we all need that regular reminder!