Traditional Christmas Pudding

  • Capable cooks
  • 0:40 Prep
  • 8:30 Cook
  • 8 Servings

Seeking an old-fashioned Christmas dessert that’s bound to impress? This is a delicious traditional Christmas pudding that’ll remind you of Christmases past. Rich, fruity and spiked with brandy, serve with a side of custard for the perfect finish to a Christmas lunch or dinner.

– Shezarella

 

Ingredients

  • 250 g butter chopped
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 egg
  • 750 g mixed fruit
  • 1/2 cup pitted prune chopped
  • 3/4 cup dates chopped
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 1 1/2 cup plain flour
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup icing sugar *to serve

Method

  1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  3. Add fruit, brandy, sifted dry ingredients, almonds and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
  4. Spoon mixture into a greased 8-cup capacity pudding basin. Cover basin with baking paper, secure tightly with string. Cover with foil and basin lid.
  5. Place pudding in a large pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover pan, simmer for 6 hours making sure water level remains constant by adding more boiling water as necessary.
  6. Remove pudding from water, and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  7. On day of serving, re-boil pudding as above for 2½ hours. Turn out onto a serving platter and dust with icing sugar.

Equipment

  • 1 pudding basin

Notes

What do you serve with Christmas pudding?

We recommend serving this best-ever Christmas pudding with custard, brandy-spiked cream, brandy butter, or vanilla ice-cream.

What can you use instead of brandy in a Christmas pudding?

If you don’t have (or don’t like!) brandy, you can use whisky, rum, fruit red wine, or, for a non-alcoholic Christmas cake, you can use apple, orange or grape juice.

For more Christmas dessert recipe ideas, Australia’s Best Recipes Christmas recipes collection.