POH'S DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Serves: up to 12

Rating: 3.2/5

INGREDIENTS

Pudding
1 cup diced, dried apricots
1 cup dried currants
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup roasted pecans OR walnuts, chopped
Juice of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 eggs
2/3 cup cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice (if you don't have this, increase the cinnamon to 2 tsp)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp bi-carbonate of soda

Rum Custard
500ml cream
6 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
60ml rum OR brandy

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease and flour a 1.25L capacity pudding basin well.

Combine all the dried fruit, nut, orange juice and zest, brandy and golden syrup in a bowl and mix well. Whisk the eggs, cream and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and stir with a whisk until combined. Fold in the fruit and nut mix and pour into the prepared basin. Secure the lid, then place in a large saucepan. Fill halfway up the sides with boiling water and boil for 5 hours but remember to check water level and refill if necessary. Insert a skewer into the middle of the pudding to check if it is cooked through.

To make the custard, place cream in heatproof bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the yolks, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Whisk into the hot cream then put back in the microwave for 2 minute bursts, whisking well between bursts until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. To reheat the pudding, repeat boiling process for another 1 1/2 hours.