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Christmas Pudding
(from the U.K. )

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Christmas puddings take two days to make. On the first day, you mix the ingredients. On the second day, you prepare the basins and steam the puddings.

These Ingredients will make one 2lb / 900g pudding or two 1lb / 450g puddings

Ingredients

Metric

200g Currants, washed 200g Sultanas, washed 200g Raisins, stoned and chopped 100g Mixed Peel, chopped 200g Breadcrumbs 200g Demerara Sugar 200g Shredded Suet The finely grated rind and juice of one Lemon 100g Almonds 200g Plain Flour 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 level teaspoon ground Nutmeg 1 level teaspoon ground Cinnamon 1 level teaspoon Mixed Spice 3 eggs 275ml of old beer or stout

Imperial / American

7oz Currants, washed 7oz Sultanas, washed 7oz Raisins, stoned and chopped 3 1/2oz Mixed Peel, chopped 7oz Breadcrumbs 7oz Demerara Sugar 7oz Shredded Suet The finely grated rind and juice of one Lemon 3 1/2oz Almonds 7oz Plain Flour 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 level teaspoon ground Nutmeg 1 level teaspoon ground Cinnamon 1 level teaspoon Mixed Spice 3 eggs 1/2 pint of old beer or stout

Method:

Mix the currants, sultanas, raisins and peel together in a large basin. Stir in the breadcrumbs, sugar, suet and lemon rind. Blanch the almonds; to do this by pouring boiling water over the nuts and then leave them to stand for a few minutes. The skins will now come off easily. Chop the almonds fairly finely and add to the fruit.

Sift the flour, salt and spices together. Beat the eggs and add the lemon juice and stout/beer to them. Add the flour and egg mixture to the other ingredients and mix all well together. Leave overnight.

Next day, brush the basin with melted fat and fill with the pudding mixture. Cover the basin with greased greaseproof paper, pleated across the top, and tie firmly with string. Steam the large pudding for at least eight hours, or the smaller ones for six hours.

When the pudding is cold, re-cover it with fresh greaseproof paper, and store it in a cool, dry place. On Christmas Day (or when you want to eat it!) re-heat the pudding exactly the same way, steaming for at least two hours.