Finally I’ve managed to make a Christmas Pudding which reminds me of ones shared with my Dad! This is moist, full of seasonal spices and packed with figs, apricots and raisins! Dad used to love Christmas Pudding and Mum always made something called ‘white sauce’ which was basically custard without the artificial yellow colouring! It was perfect to represent a snowy topped mountain of hot steamy fruity pudding! 🙂
Now, of course you could go out and read all the labels on those ready made Christmas Puddings: you could navigate your way through the ingredients looking for things you don’t eat – maybe gluten, dairy, eggs, or nuts. Then IF you’ve found a pudding you can actually eat safely, you read the rest of the ingredients and recognise raisins, sultanas, dates, cranberries, figs, apricots and cherries – then discover that most of them actually come attached with vegetable oils, sulphur dioxide and even sugars and syrups.
Oh, it’s Christmas so a bit of extra sugar is fine you think… but what about all those other ingredients? Palm Oil? That is still in a LOT of puddings I’ve seen this year!
If you haven’t yet seen the ‘banned’ from TV supermarket advert, based on the Greenpeace book ‘There’s a Rang Tan in my Bedroom’, then have a look. (This post is not sponsored by, nor is this a recommendation, for the supermarket, but the video of the book is great!)
So… please try to avoid the palm oil! 😀 More ingredients in that shop bought Christmas Pudding… Humectants, Colourings, More Sugar, More oil, Suet (more oil), Yeast, Emulsifiers, Acidity Regulators, even vinegar! What a lot of unnecessary ingredients! Then of course, you have to hope that whichever alcohol base you choose: sherry; rum; whisky; cider; brandy; port is liked by everyone eating it!
Or, you could just make this one! 😛 😀 Then you can add in a few extras, as you please such as nuts, citrus zest and/or peel, extra dried fruit or additional spices. The alcohol can be added afterwards (if you please), or if you know what everyone likes, you can choose your own single flavour to soak your fruit in.
So, a perfectly balanced, free-from Christmas pudding, tailored to your own preferences! Perfect! 😀
Gosh, we’re excited and we don’t even celebrate Christmas!!! 😛 But of course, you CAN eat this anytime! 😀
Anyway, let us know what you think of this pudding recipe and if you make it please show us your photos using the hashtag #LifeDietHealth or tag us on instagram @LifeDietHealth
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Right… let’s see the recipe for this Figgy Pudding so you can get baking! 😀
- 400 g dried fruit (we used equal amounts of figs, apricots and raisins)
- 100 ml liquid (alcohol, juice or tea) (we used 80ml earl grey tea & 20ml orange juice)
- 75 g coconut sugar (or other brown sugar)
- 50 g breadcrumbs (sweet or savoury) (gluten free if required)
- 75 g plain flour (gluten free if required)
- 1 tablespoon coconut nectar (or molasses/treacle/date syrup)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free if required)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- large pinch ground ginger
- small pinch ground cloves
- small pinch salt
- *25 g pecans (optional) or other nuts
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Chop the fruit into bite size pieces if necessary, then place in a large bowl and pour the liquid over it. Mix together and leave to soak for at least fifteen minutes.
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Put half to two-thirds of the fruit mixture in a food processor and blend until you have a rough paste. Mix the paste with the remaining fruit and liquid.
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Add the sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, nectar, baking powder, nutmeg, mixed spice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and mix well. (It might be easier to use your hands)!
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Stir the pecans through if using and any other additions (citrus zest, glace cherries, other nuts, lucky charm!)
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Grease a large pudding basin, then cut a circle of greaseproof paper and stick to the bottom of the basin.
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Pack the basin with the mixture and press it down well. Cover with another circle of greaseproof paper.
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Next, get a piece of baking paper and a piece of foil slightly larger than the top of the basin. Make a fold in each (to allow for expansion/venting) then put the greaseproof paper on the basin first.
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Cover the greaseproof paper with the folded foil.
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Secure both the greaseproof paper and the foil with a piece of string or an elastic band.
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Find a large enough saucepan and add the pudding. Carefully pour boiling water half way up the basin (not touching the foil), turn the heat on low, and put a lid on the pan. Cook for three hours checking the water level (and adding to it) regularly (I’d check it every 15-20 minutes).
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Turn off the heat and allow the water to cool. Remove the pudding, unwrap and turn out upside down. Eat immediately or wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and save for later.
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Enjoy.
- Personalise your pudding by using different dried fruits: raisins; sultanas; figs; cherries; apricots; mango.
- Add extra zing by adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon or orange zest.
- Vary the taste by using different liquids: orange juice; apple juice; cranberry juice; earl grey tea; black tea; or your favourite alcohol – spirit, cider, wine or beer.
- Throw in some roughly chopped nuts for extra crunch and taste.
- Serve with custard (or white sauce), brandy butter, cream or ice-cream.
- Store wrapped in a cool dry place and reheat when needed (microwave is best for reheating). Stores for several weeks.
- Taste is enhanced on storing.
- It is traditional to light the pudding before serving – pour over a small amount of complementary alcohol and carefully set light to it. Allow to burn off (& out) before serving.