Fresh and Fruity Christmas Pudding
This is a twist on a traditional pudding, with the addition of fresh carrot and apple for extra fruitiness and moisture. The apricot design on top adds an extra layer of specialness to the special occasion that is Christmas. Making the pudding as far in advance as possible (up to one year even!) will ensure a really fruity and mature flavour.
Sharon Hearne Smith
Sharon Hearne Smith
Recipe - Dunshaughlin - Healy's
Fresh and Fruity Christmas Pudding
Prep Time30 Minutes
Servings10
Cook Time360 Minutes
Ingredients
200 ml Brandy
100 g Carrots Finely Grated
125 g Dried Apricots
2 - Egg Beaten
100 g Glace Cherries
175 g Light Muscovado Sugar
50 g Mixed Peel
1 pinch Nutmeg Freshly Ground
1 - Redcurrants One String to Decorate
125 g Self-Raising Flour
150 g SuperValu Cooking Apple Roughly Grated
1 - SuperValu Lemon Finely Grated Zest
1 tsp SuperValu Mixed Spice
1 - SuperValu Orange Finely Grated Zest
525 g SuperValu Signature Tastes Luxury Fruit Mix
175 g Unsalted Butter Plus Extra For Greasing
175 g White Breadcrumbs
50 g Whole Blanched Almonds
Directions
- Please allow time to soak your pudding overnight.
- Starting the day before you intend to cook the pudding, pop the butter in the freezer to solidify.
- Place the mixed fruit, apple, carrot, cherries, mixed peel, almonds, orange and lemon zest and brandy in a large zip lock food bag. Seal well and toss until evenly mixed. Leave to soak overnight, tossing the contents occasionally if possible.
- Grease a 1.7 litre pudding basin with butter and line the base with grease proof paper. Arrange the apricots in a circular pattern in the base of the bowl to cover it completely, then arrange a layer of them in a row to just come up the side.
- Toss the sugar, breadcrumbs, flour and spices together in a large bowl. Add the soaked fruit mixture and eggs. Grate in the frozen butter and mix everything together until well combined. Spoon into the prepared basin, being careful not to move the apricots. Press each spoonful down and against the sides well so as not to leave any gaps as you go.
- Place a disc of baking parchment paper on top, then lay a large piece of baking parchment on top of the same size piece of tin foil. Grease the middle of the parchment with butter. Make a fold of the two of them together through the center. Turn this parchment side down onto the top of the bowl to cover the pudding and secure all around the sides with string. Make a string ‘handle’ from side to side to help you lift the pudding out of the pan later on.
- Place an upturned heatproof saucer in a large, deep pan and lower the pudding in on top. Pour enough water in to come halfway up the sides of the pudding. Pop a tight-fitting lid on top and simmer for 6 hours, topping up with water as needed.
- Remove and leave to cool completely. Remove the outer coverings and wrap the basin tightly with a double layer of cling film. Stored in a cool, dry place, this will keep for up to one year.
- To serve, steam the pudding as before but for 1 hour to warm through. Turn out onto a serving plate or cake stand to reveal the apricots. Decorate with a string of redcurrants and serve with custard, brandy butter and/or softly whipped cream.
- Tip: Alternatively, you could steam the pudding in the oven in a roasting tin that has been half-filled with water. Cover with a large tent of tin foil and bake for 6 hours at 160°C/gas mark 3, topping up with water as necessary.
30 minutes
Prep Time
360 minutes
Cook Time
10
Servings
Shop Ingredients
Makes 10 servings
Age restricted item
Hennessy Cognac Brandy (20 cl)€16.00€55.94/70cl
SuperValu Irish Carrots Loose (1 kg)
€1.25/kg€1.25/kg
SuperValu Dried Apricots (250 g)
€2.99€11.96/kg
SuperValu Free Range Large Eggs (6 Piece)
€2.25€0.38 each
Sunny South Pitted Black Cherries in Syrup (425 g)
€2.55€6.00/kg
Shamrock Light Muscavado Sugar (500 g)
€3.15€6.30/kg
Shamrock Mixed Peel (200 g)
€2.35€11.75/kg
Schwartz Whole Nutmeg (25 g)
Great Value
€2.50€100.00/kg
SuperValu Currants (375 g)
€2.20€5.87/kg
SuperValu Plain Flour (2 kg)
€2.55€1.28/kg
SuperValu Loose Cooking Apples (1 kg)
€2.39/kg€2.39/kg
SuperValu Signature Tastes Seedless LemonGold Lemons (3 Piece)
Only 99c
€0.99€0.33 each
Funky Soul Ground Mixed Spice (34 g)
€0.79€23.24/kg
SuperValu Large Loose Oranges (1 Piece)
6 for €2.50
€0.60
SuperValu Signature Tastes Luxury Fruit Mix (375 g)
€4.30€11.47/kg
SuperValu Irish Unsalted Butter (227 g)
€2.19€9.65/kg
SuperValu Fresh Breadcrumbs (300 g)
€1.85€6.17/kg
SuperValu Whole Almonds (200 g)
€2.09€10.45/kg
Recipe
- Please allow time to soak your pudding overnight.
- Starting the day before you intend to cook the pudding, pop the butter in the freezer to solidify.
- Place the mixed fruit, apple, carrot, cherries, mixed peel, almonds, orange and lemon zest and brandy in a large zip lock food bag. Seal well and toss until evenly mixed. Leave to soak overnight, tossing the contents occasionally if possible.
- Grease a 1.7 litre pudding basin with butter and line the base with grease proof paper. Arrange the apricots in a circular pattern in the base of the bowl to cover it completely, then arrange a layer of them in a row to just come up the side.
- Toss the sugar, breadcrumbs, flour and spices together in a large bowl. Add the soaked fruit mixture and eggs. Grate in the frozen butter and mix everything together until well combined. Spoon into the prepared basin, being careful not to move the apricots. Press each spoonful down and against the sides well so as not to leave any gaps as you go.
- Place a disc of baking parchment paper on top, then lay a large piece of baking parchment on top of the same size piece of tin foil. Grease the middle of the parchment with butter. Make a fold of the two of them together through the center. Turn this parchment side down onto the top of the bowl to cover the pudding and secure all around the sides with string. Make a string ‘handle’ from side to side to help you lift the pudding out of the pan later on.
- Place an upturned heatproof saucer in a large, deep pan and lower the pudding in on top. Pour enough water in to come halfway up the sides of the pudding. Pop a tight-fitting lid on top and simmer for 6 hours, topping up with water as needed.
- Remove and leave to cool completely. Remove the outer coverings and wrap the basin tightly with a double layer of cling film. Stored in a cool, dry place, this will keep for up to one year.
- To serve, steam the pudding as before but for 1 hour to warm through. Turn out onto a serving plate or cake stand to reveal the apricots. Decorate with a string of redcurrants and serve with custard, brandy butter and/or softly whipped cream.
- Tip: Alternatively, you could steam the pudding in the oven in a roasting tin that has been half-filled with water. Cover with a large tent of tin foil and bake for 6 hours at 160°C/gas mark 3, topping up with water as necessary.