Ingredients🌲

 Cup Dried Currants (also known as Zante Raisins)

• 3/4 Cup Raisins

• 3/4 Cup Golden Raisins/Sultanas

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel 

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied lemon peel 

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or almonds , (optional)

• 1/2 cup brandy 

• 2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (toast the bread and then pulse in a food processor until you have crumbs)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon mixed spice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 4 ounces shredded beef suet

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten

• one small apple , peeled, cored, and grated

• 1 tablespoon black treacle or molasses

• homemade Hard Sauce, for serving 

 Method🎁

Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, almonds, and candied citrus peel in a bowl.  Pour the brandy over and stir to combine the mixture.  Cover and let sit overnight to allow the brandy to fully penetrate the fruit.

The next day, place the breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.

In another bowl add the soaked dried fruit mixture, grated apple, black treacle, suet, lemon and orange zest, and egg.  Stir to combine.

Add the dry mixture to the fruit mixture and stir to thoroughly combine it.  It will be thick and sticky.

Generously butter your 2 liter/3.5 pint pudding mold and scoop the batter into the mold, pressing down and smoothing the top.

Cut a circle out of parchment paper the same diameter as the top of the pudding mold.  Lightly butter the paper and place it, butter side down, on top of the batter.  Next tear off two more pieces of parchment paper large enough to cover the to of the pudding mould and partially down the sides of the mould.  If your pudding mould is small and the batter comes to the top of it, fold a pleat in the centre of the parchment papers to allow room for expansion as the pudding cooks.  Trim off excess paper.

Secure the paper by folding down the sides and tying securely with a string (to make it easier you can secure it first with a rubber band while you're tying it and then remove the rubber band). Note:  If your mold comes with a lid, I'd

recommend adding a layer of parchment paper before securing the lid.

Bring a large pot of water to a very lown simmer.  Place a folded cloth or trivet on the bottom of the pot to prevent the pudding mold from coming in direct contact with the pot in order to prevent scorching.

Lower the pudding mold down into the water on top of the folded cloth. The water level should come up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Cover the pot with the lid.

Steam the pudding over very low heat for approximately 8 hours.  The water should not be boiling, it should be steaming. Check periodically to ensure the water level is still at the halfway point and add more water as needed. The longer the pudding steams the darker in color it will become.

When the pudding is done steaming, carefully lift out the pudding mold and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then invert the pudding on a plate.  Let it sit until the pudding slides out onto the plate.  Let the pudding cool completely.

To store, remove the parchment paper and wrap the pudding with clean parchment paper followed by aluminum foil.  Wrap tightly.  Store it in a cool, dark place, preferably a basement.   If you do not have a cool, dark environment in your home you can keep it in the fridge but make sure it is tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and some aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out.  Follow these same guidelines along with placing the pudding in a ziplock freezer bag to freeze the pudding.

When you're ready to serve the pudding you will need to reheat it either by re-steaming it for 30-60 minutes or until heated through or you can also microwave it in a microwave safe container to keep the moisture in.

You can light the pudding on fire just before serving and then serve with Hard Sauce for example, brandy butter or powdered sugar, whipped cream, English Custard, ice cream, or lemon sauce. 

This information was from the Darling Gourmet