SERVES 6 PREP 40 mins plus 2 hrs soaking COOK 4 hrs (or 30 mins in the microwave) MORE EFFORT V
WHY
It’s easy to see why Christmas pudding has fallen out of fashion.
Made traditionally, it can be rather one-note and dense. In fact, we probably revel more in setting it alight than eating it. In this recipe, we’ve made the best bits bigger (the cherries and almonds), and swapped suet for butter for a lighter, better-flavoured and nicer-looking pudding that doesn’t need any pyrotechnics to win approval.
WHAT TO BUY
100g sultanas100g raisins50g dried figs, chopped50g mixed peel150g glacé cherries (we used morello glacé cherries), 50g halved50g stem ginger, chopped, plus1 tbsp of the syrup from the jar small piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated1 small orange, zested and juiced80g light muscovado sugar½ tsp mixed spice6 tbsp brandy60g butter, frozen, plus 15g softened butter and extra for the basin1 egg, beaten50g ground almonds50g blanched almonds, ½ chopped,½ left whole50g self-raising flour60g fresh breadcrumbs, made from sourdough or brioche if possiblebrandy butter, custard or double cream, to serve
