Christmas Pudding Recipe

You will need a 1.7 litre/3 pint heatproof plastic pudding basin with a lid, and also a sprig of holly to decorate.

Put the currants, sultanas and scissored prunes into a bowl with the Pedro Ximénez, stir, then cover with cling film and leave to steep overnight or for up to 1 week.

When the fruits have had their steeping time, put a large pan of water on to boil, or heat some water in a conventional steamer, and butter your heatproof plastic pudding basin, remembering to grease the lid, too.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining pudding ingredients (except the vodka), and stir together.

Add the steeped fruits, scraping in every last drop of liquor with a rubber spatula, and mix to combine thoroughly.

Scrape and press the mixture into the prepared pudding basin, squish it down and put on the lid. Then wrap with a layer of foil so that the basin is watertight, then either put the basin in the pan of boiling water (to come halfway up the basin) or in the top of a lidded steamer and steam for 5 hours, checking every now and again that the water hasn’t bubbled away.

When it’s had its 5 hours, remove carefully and when its cooled, unwrap the foil, and put the pudding in its basin somewhere out of the way in the kitchen or larder until Christmas Day.

On the big day, rewrap the pudding (still in its basin) in foil and steam again, this time for 3 hours.

To serve, remove from the pan or steamer, take off the lid, put a plate on top, turn it upside down and give the plastic basin a little squeeze to help unmould the pudding. Then remove the basin.

Put the sprig of holly on top of the pudding, then heat the vodka in a small pan and the minute it’s hot, but before it boils, turn off the heat, pour the hot vodka over the pudding and then light the pudding.

Serve with your favourite cream.