Christmas pudding recipe: How to make the best Christmas pudding this stir up Sunday

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