Christmas is a mere weeks away, and many will be thinking about their festive dinner plans.
One key element of any traditional Christmas meal is the pudding, which can be store bought or homemade.
If you are planning to make one, today is stir-up Sunday, which is traditionally the best day to stir the pudding mix while making a wish.
It is then cooked and left to rest until Christmas Day. Follow this simple recipe for a foolproof Christmas pudding.
Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 8 hours Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PUDDING
50g blanched almond
2 large Bramley cooking apples
200g box candied peel (in large pieces) or all citron if you can find it
1 whole nutmeg
1kg raisins
140g plain flour
100g soft fresh white breadcrumb
100g light muscovado sugar, crumbled if it looks lumpy
3 large eggs
2 tbsp brandy or cognac, plus extra to flame
250g packet butter, taken straight from the fridge
FOR THE BRANDY BUTTER
175g unsalted butter, softened
Grated zest of half an orange
5 tbsp icing sugar
4 tbsp brandy or cognac
2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped