Preparation Notes: plus marinating for at least six weeks for optimum flavour
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Total Time:
5 hrs 40 mins
- Butter for greasing
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 75g (3oz) chopped mixed peel
- 225 g (8oz) each seedless raisins, currants and sultanas
- 225 g (8oz) suet (see tip)
- 225 g (8oz) fresh breadcrumbs
- 225 g (8oz) soft light brown (muscovado) sugar
- 75 g (3oz) plain flour
- 2 1/2 ml 2.5ml (1⁄2 level tsp) mixed spice
- 1.25ml (1⁄4 level tsp) salt
- 4 large eggs
- 150 ml (1⁄4 pint) brandy, dark rum or medium sherry
- 100 ml (4fl oz) milk
- Step 1
Grease and baseline a 1.6-litre (23/4-pint) pudding basin (see tip).
- Step 2
Place the finely grated lemon rind in a bowl with the mixed peel, raisins, currants and sultanas, suet, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, plain flour, mixed spice and salt. Whisk together the eggs, 100ml (4fl oz) brandy, rum or sherry and the milk. Stir the egg mixture into the fruit mixture until well blended, then spoon into the greased and lined pudding basin. Press the mixture down, cover with greaseproof paper and foil and secure with string.
- Step 3
Lower the basin into a large pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover, bring to the boil and bubble gently for 5hr (see tip).
- Step 4
Lift out the basin; allow to cool. Re-cover with fresh greaseproof paper and foil and secure with string. Store for at least six weeks in a cool, dark place.
- Step 5
To reheat, follow step 3, but allow the pudding to bubble for only 2-3hr. Lift the pudding out of the pan, remove the covering, run a palette knife around the inside of the bowl and turn the pudding out on to a warmed serving plate. Warm the remaining brandy, rum or sherry in a pan or ladle and ignite it. While it's still flaming, pour it over the Christmas pudding and serve.
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You can use beef or vegetarian suet. If you're concerned about the calorie count or want to make a lighter pudding, use half the quantity of suet.
To make an old-fashioned round Christmas pudding, follow the recipe as shown here, but use a spherical 2.3-litre (4-pint) mould.
Don't forget to top up the saucepan with boiling water during the cooking time to prevent it from boiling dry.
Per Serving:
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
