My Nan's Christmas pud with vin santo

“This light, fruity Christmas pudding recipe makes buying one from the shops a thing of the past ”

500 g mixed dried fruit (such as cranberries, cherries, apricots, sultanas and raisins)

100 g dates , chopped up

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

125 g suet

1 orange , zest of

125 g plain flour

125 g caster sugar

150 g fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons vin santo or brandy

1 handful chopped nuts, such as pecans, Brazils or hazelnuts

1 medium free-range egg

150 ml milk

golden syrup , to serve

Method

1. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding bowl.
2. Mix all the ingredients together, except the golden syrup. Put the mixture into the greased bowl and cover with a double layer of aluminium foil. Tie a piece of string round the side of the bowl. Place in a large saucepan with water halfway up the sides of the bowl. Bring the water to the boil, put on a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 3 hours. (Don’t forget to check the water regularly, making sure that it never boils dry, because if it does, it will burn and the bowl will crack.)
3. When it’s ready, remove the foil, turn out on to a plate, drizzle with golden syrup and decorate it as you like. You can also light it with brandy if you want to be really fancy.

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