Christmas is a comin'

and with 53 days to go (WOOHOO) it's time to be making puddings and cakes and mincemeat so they have time to mature and the flavours to develop!

This is my first post of the weekend, I can almost hear the shock as I've been so neglectful of my blog for the last few months, I even missed my 1 year blogiversary!!! But now I am back on the blogging wagon and rearing to go.

Christmas pudding is one the things I remember from growing up that meant Christmas was coming, the dark evenings and my mother mixing everything in her mixing bowl and the can or bottle of Guinness which reminds me so much of my paternal grandfather who used to drink it. This year we're not bothering with cake just pudding as I don't eat either and the husbag loves pudding, so much in fact he'd eat all 3 that this recipe makes!!!!

My recipe is inspired by the Avoca recipe but I've made some changes with the spices and the fruit using dried cranberries instead of currants cos I don't like them and also some dates and figs in place of half the raisins. I've added 1/2 tsp ground ginger aswell as mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. And basically stuck to everything else.


So here goes, Christmas pudding inspired by Avoca

The recipe should make 3 2 pint puddings plus a little bit over which filled 2 3'inch individual pudding moulds.

450g sultanas
450g dried cranberries
110g dates, chopped
110g figs, chopped
230g raisins
110g glace cherries, I used yellow ones from my local fruit shop but you can use any colour
110g mixed peel (revolting suff I know but who am I to mess with tradition?)
225g chopped almonds
450g brown sugar, I used a mix of demerera and muscovado
275g breadcrumbs, I used brown bread
275g self-raising flour
350g butter, melted
6 medium eggs, beaten
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 small can of Guinness, 330ml
2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger

Add the fruit to the bowl, mix well and then add the sugarm breadcrumbs, lour, spices and almonds. Mix well and make a well in the centre. Add the melted butter, eggs, orange juice and zest and the Guinness. Mix well so there are no dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl. If the mixture is a little dry add a couple of tablespoons of milk or more orange juice. Spoon into the pudding bowls and cover with the lid. Steam for 4-5 hours. When cold you can drizzle whickey or brandy over the pudding. On christmas day, steam the pudding for another hour and serve with brandy/rum butter or cream.

YUM!!!

I didn't think I'd have pics of this until Christmas but himself was making the "are you not letting me have pudding til christmas??" face and the puppydog eves I couldn't refuse and managed to snap a quick shot before the pudding was snatched away from me, being a non pudding eater it's very nice aswell, there's a slight bite from the almonds and it's lovely a moist.