Last minute Christmas pudding

This recipe is for those of us who have forgotten to make the Christmas pudding. Like all good fruitcakes, you are supposed to have it sitting around maturing and well you know what it is like.  You keep putting it off and then you think I will get one from the shops and you go down and you only have the really cheap ones and the ones you need to take a second mortgage out on. Well this is a easy cheap and fast Christmas pudding that you can make.

For this you will need

900g/2lb mixed dried fruit 

150ml/5fl oz brandy or whisky

The juice and zest of 1 large orange

225g/8oz butter

225g/8oz dark brown sugar

4 large eggs

110g/4oz self-raising flour

110g/4oz fresh breadcrumbs

85g/3oz chopped nuts

2 tsp mixed spice

Start by adding all the fruits, orange juice and zest and alcohol in to one big bowl .  Now cover this with cling film and then set it in the microwave for about five minutes, or on top of a pan of hot water.  What you want to do is to kick-start the fruits soaking up the alcohol once every thing is hot set it to one side with the cover still on so that al the fruits.  However, if you have time the best way still is to leave them over night or let them soak fro as long as you can.  But if you have heated the fruits you will have to let them cool before you make the pudding.

Lightly grease pudding basin with some melted butter and place a disc of greaseproof paper into the base to help it stop sticking.  Then in a large mixing bowl cream the butter sugar together until they go light in colour. Now beat your eggs and add them to the mix a little at a time.  If the batter looks like it is starting to split or curdle just add a little of the flour.

Now add all the fruits to the big mixing bowl and combine every thing together. Then add the breadcrumbs and stir them in. Then add the mixed spice and finally the flour.  Now it is always best to sieve your flour in to the bowl to prevent any lumps of flour in the final pudding. Then using a spoon make sure that every thing is finally combined so you have a nice smooth batter full of fruit.

Now add the batter to your pudding basin and seal it with a double layer of greaseproof paper and a single sheet of aluminium foil.  Then tie with string and set it in your steamer.  It will take about 3 to 4 hours to steam all depending on how good your steamer is.

Then all you have to is re-steam it before you serve it or just reheat in the microwave if you like.