How to make a perfect Christmas pud!

No Christmas dinner is complete without a luxurious Christmas pudding. This is Donna Tuxford's favourite recipe.

Ingredients:

700g or 1½ lb currants

150g or 5¼ oz dried figs, chopped

100g or 3½ oz dried apricots, chopped

100g or 3½ oz dried cranberries

100g or 3½ oz dark glace cherries, chopped

Bottle of brandy

100g or 3½ oz ginger in syrup, finely chopped, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup

1 tbsp black treacle

2 apples, grated

2 oranges, juice and zest

6 eggs, beaten

250g or 8¾ oz shredded suet (I prefer beef)

350g or 12¼ oz soft muscovado or dark brown sugar

250g or 8¾ oz fresh breadcrumbs

175g or 6¼ oz self-raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp grated nutmeg (fresh is best)

300g or 10½ oz macadamia nuts

400g or 14 oz pine kernels

2 old sixpences or coins (optional)

Top tip:

You can swap and change any of the dried fruits, nuts and alcohol to suit your own taste, sherry or Madeira wine will also work.

Preparation method:

1. Place the soft fruit in a large plastic container and cover with brandy. Seal with cling film or a lid and soak the fruit for as long as you can—overnight is OK but three or four weeks is fantastic (giving it a good stir every couple of days).

2. In a large bowl mix the ginger, syrup, black treacle, apples, orange juice and zest with the eggs, suet, sugar, crumbs and flour.

3. Stir in the soaked fruit, nuts and spices.

4. Butter two pudding basins and divide the mix between them. Add a coin to each pudding if using.

5. Fold a pleat in two pieces of greaseproof paper then cut a circle to fit the top of your puddings.

6. Fold a large piece of tin foil (extra wide foil) in half and half again, place a pleat in the middle (for expansion) and fold very tightly over the top of the pudding basin to form a waterproof seal.

7. Steam puddings for 3½ hours.

8. Let puddings cool, remove greaseproof paper and tin foil, throw more brandy on top and cover again tightly with cling film. The puddings can now be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas.

9. If you like your puddings to be very alcoholic, you can throw extra brandy on every week or so until Christmas.

10. To re-heat, remove cling film and cover as for cooking. Steam pudding for a further 3½ hours.