I was writing next month's recipe for www.whyorganic.org which is an alternative to Christmas Pud and then I thought I ought to give you several other options, so here they are (we'll be having the "Light" Pud - it's very fruity and will be served with a good rum butter with a nod to my Caribbean ancestry)
♪♫♪ “Now bring us some Figgy Pudding…” ♪♫♪
225g / 8oz dried figs
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
100g / 4oz breadcrumbs
100g / 4oz suet
100g / 4oz plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder
75g / 3oz dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs milk
Chop the figs and place in a bowl with the lemon rind and juice. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the figs, eggs and milk and beat well. Well grease a pudding basin. Fill. Cover with a pleated sheet of greaseproof and foil. Tie with string and boil for 3 hours. Freeze this pudding to keep till Christmas.
Christmas Pudding
100g/ 4oz suet
100g / 4oz self raising flour
100g / 4oz breadcrumbs
100g / 4oz currants
150g / 6oz sultanas
150g / 6oz raisins
100g / 4oz dark brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten in a cup
grated rind & juice 1 orange
grated rind & juice 1 lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tbs rum
50g / 2oz mixed peel
50g / 2oz glace cherries
1 grated carrot
1 grated apple
Mix everything together very well. Fill a well greased pudding basin. Cover with pleated greaseproof paper and foil and tie down with string. Boil for 6 hours. Cool. Recover and store in a cold place until Christmas. Reboil 2 hours.
Light Christmas Pudding
100g / 4 oz dried apricots, chopped
100g / 4oz dried papaya, chopped
100g / 4oz dried tropical mix
50g / 2oz crystallised stem ginger
50g / 2oz mixed peel
75g / 3oz walnuts
100g / 4oz golden sultanas
1 grated apple
1 grated carrot
2 eggs
100g / 4oz sugar
50g / 2oz melted margarine
100g / 4oz breadcrumbs
50g / 2oz self raising flour
2 tbs rum
rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground mace
Mix everything together and pile into a well greased pudding basin. Cover with pleated greaseproof and foil. Tie down with string. Boil 3 hours. Cool, recover and store in a cold place. Reboil 2 hours on Christmas Day.
