How to make the perfect plum pudding

There is something enormously satisfying about making your own Plum Pudding. We are always asked the secret to getting the pudding perfectly moist but not too gooey.  Here is one of our favourites:

We use butter instead of vegetable suet and this gives a more luxurious texture. The prunes marry well with the brandy. Every Christmas pudding needs a good kick of booze. It’s Christmas after all.

Makes 2 x 1-litre puddings

Ingredients

1 orange

1 unwaxed lemon

100 g prunes

1 eating apple

75 g self-raising flour

½ tsp sea salt

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves 175 g

Unsalted butter, plus more for the pudding bowls

200 g sultanas

200 g raisins

100 g currants

75 g mixed peel

50 g glacé cherries

100 ml each stout and brandy

200 g dark muscovado sugar

25 g black treacle

3 eggs, lightly beaten

75 g fresh breadcrumbs

Preparation

Zest and juice the orange and zest the lemon. Chop the prunes. Grate the apple. Sift the flour, salt and spices together.  Butter 2 x 1-litre pudding bowls.

Method

Soak the dried fruit, peel, cherries, apple and zests in the orange juice, stout and brandy overnight, with sugar and treacle. Next day, stir in the eggs and fold in the bread-crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan and add, then gently fold in the flour mixture. Divide between the basins and cover each with a disc of baking parchment. If you are using ceramic pudding basins, tie a larger circle of baking parchment around with string, to cover the lips. If using a plastic basin, just pop the lid on that it came with. Steam over a low heat for six hours, keeping an eye on the water level so that it doesn’t run dry, then remove and cool. Wrap in cling film and store until Christmas Day in a cool spot. Give one away before Christmas. Your pudding will need a two-hour steam to heat through properly. Serve with brandy custard or double cream, not forgetting to ignite the pudding before you bring it to the table (warm the brandy butter first).