Grandma's Plum Pudding

Aunty Ailly came to stay and brought with her pudding bowls and Grandma's recipe

We had a lovely day

Christmas Plum Puddings are supposed to be made with love and the ones we made yesterday, certainly were and it was all really easy too

For a 6lb Pudding - Mix all of the following ingredients in a massive bowl or food processor:

8oz melted butter
12oz currents
8 oz raisins
8 oz sultanas
1 oz almonds (Ailly doesn't like them so she leave them out)
2 oz of dried mixed fruit (Ailly adds halved glace cherries - because she's mad about them)
6 oz of plain flour
6 oz of fresh breadcrumbs (we used spelt breadcrumbs - as I don't eat regular wheat)
2 teaspoons of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (Ailly adds cloves, although it's not on the official list)
4 tablespoons of Stout (we used Beamish)
2 tablespoons of Brandy (Ailly used way more than that)
2 eggs (beaten)
Zest and juice of a lemon and orange (the orange is an Ailly addition)

Grease and line the bottom of metal or ceramic pudding bowl(s) with butter - only the very bottom with baking paper

Fill with the mixture and cover with double layered baking paper and fix with tightly tide string, to keep the lid in place, then place the string under the bowl and back over the top, to make a handle that you can pick the whole bowl up securely with.

Leave somewhere cool overnight

The next day make sure that you have 5-6 hours available, as you need to to steam the puddings.

Take a large saucepan, pop the pudding into the saucepan and half fill with water, then bring to a rolling boil with a lid on.

Keep the water topped up and once the cooking time is finished, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Remove the baking paper lid and replace with another in the same way with the twine

Store in a cool place until Christmas Day

Enjoy!
H&A xx