Mum's Christmas Pudding

Total Time: 7 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 cup butter (250g)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup (optional)
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 1/4-1/2 cup cold brewed tea
• 1/2 cup rum, overproof
• 1 orange, zest of, only
• 1 lemon, zest of, only
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups raisins (250g - 310g)
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups sultanas (250g - 310g)
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups currants (250g - 310g)

Recipe

• 1 soak fruit in rum overnight.
• 2 add spices, tea and rinds to fruit mixture.
• 3 cream butter and sugar, beat eggs and add alternately with flours to butter, sugar mixture then add breadcrumbs.
• 4 grease a large pudding basin well, fill basin with pudding leaving a little room at top for expansion and cover with double sheet of greaseproof paper well greased then clip on lid, it should fit tightly.
• 5 steam pudding for 4-5 hrs in large boiler (very large saucepan), with a saucer placed underneath basin, fill with boiling water to come half way up basin - keep adding boiling water as it evaporates. if you put a lid on boiler, don't cover completely, leave space for steam to escape.
• 6 reheat on christmas eve in crockpot 12-14 hrs on low, place upturned saucer under basin, start about 11pm to midnight so it will be ready by lunchtime for christmas dinner.
• 7 take pudding out of basin and serve pudding on a platter with a sprig of holly (artificial) on top and a bowl of hot custard or brandy custard alongside.