Stir Up Sunday - Wee Dram Christmas Pudding

 

Yesterday was my usual busy baking Sunday with an extra special bake!

It was Stir Up Sunday, tie to get the Christmas pudding baked!

I love this time of year and I love all the kitchen preparations that come with it. I have already got a batch of Christmas cakes maturing and a second lot of fruit soaking in whisky and couldn't wait to get the pudding made.

I studied a lot of different recipes and adapted to add what we like and that would go with our budget.

This is what I came up with...

 

Wee Dram Christmas Pudding

 

Ingredients

 

400g dried mixed fruit with candied peel

100g dried cranberries

125g flaked almonds

30g chopped roasted hazelnuts

50g butter

50g heather honey

50g dark muscovado sugar

75g white breadcrumbs

1tspn mixed spices

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

4tbsp whisky

 

Method

 

1 - Place the dried mixed fruit, cranberries, almonds, hazelnuts, sugar, breadcrumbs, mixed spice, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl and mix together.

 

2 - Melt the butter with the honey over a low heat.

 

3 - Add the melted butter, honey, eggs and whisky to the bowl and mix until all of the ingredients are evenly combined. I have used Famous Grouse whisky but this can be replaced by any other and the amount can also be adjusted to taste.

 

 

4 - This mixture will be enough to fill a 900ml pudding bowl, grease the tin with butter and add the pudding mixture.

 

5 - Cover with greaseproof paper and foil, fold them together i a fan style to allow room for expansion during steaming, tie with string to secure.

 

6 - Place the covered pudding bowl in a large pan and pour in water until it reaches half way up the pudding bowl, cover and put on a high heat until boiling then reduce down and simmer.

 

7 - Leave the pudding to steam for 3 hours, checking ever now and then and adding more water when necessary.

 

8 - After 3 hours remove from the pan and leave to cool completely with the foil and baking paper removed.

 

9 - Once cool, cover with a two sheets of greaseproof paper and foil. Secure with string and store away until Christmas day

 

On Christmas day or whenever you want to serve the pudding steam again as before for 1 hour and serve with the sauce of your choice.

We will probably be enjoying ours with some whisky cream!

Enjoy x