Christmas pudding with brandy butter

Ingredients (Serves 8-10)
Makes 1.1ltr/2pt pudding

• Butter for greasing
• 75g/3oz self-raising flour
• 100g/4oz shredded vegetable suet or grated chilled butter
• 25g/1oz blanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 100g/4oz grated cooking apple
• 250g/8oz raisins
• 100g/4oz currants
• 100g/4oz sultanas
• 100g/4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 50g/2oz mixed candied peel, chopped
• 75g/3oz light muscovado sugar
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 75ml/3fl oz dark rum or brandy (optional)

Lightly grease a 1.1ltr/2pt heatproof pudding bowl.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and eggs and stir until well combined.

Spoon into the bowl and level the top. Cover the surface with a disc of greaseproof paper, then wrap the bowl with greaseproof paper and foil, securing with string.

Put in the top of a steamer, or in a pan of simmering water, ensuring the water comes halfway up the bowl. Steam for 5-6 hours, topping up the water so the pan doesn’t boil dry.

Remove the pudding from the steamer and let cool. Remove the paper and foil covering, make a few holes in the top of the pudding with a fine skewer and pour in the rum or brandy, if using. Once cold, recover with greaseproof paper and foil, then store in a cool, dark place.

To serve, steam the pudding as before for 3-4 hours. Serve with brandy butter.