- 350g/12¼oz sultanas
- 350g/12¼oz raisins or currants
- 150g/5¼oz dried figs, chopped
- 125g/4½oz candied peel
- 100g/3½oz dried apricots
- 75g/2½oz dark glacé cherries, halved
- 150ml/5fl oz brandy
- 100g/3½oz ginger in syrup, chopped, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup
- 2 apples or quinces, grated
- 2 oranges, juice and zest
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 250g/8¾oz shredded suet
- 350g/12¼oz soft muscovado sugar
- 250g/8¾oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 175g/6¼oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2 old sixpences or coins (optional)
- For this recipe you will need two 1.5 litre(2½ pint) plastic pudding basins with lids.
- Soak the sultanas, raisins, currants, figs, peel, apricots and cherries in the brandy overnight, giving it a good stir now and again.
- The following day, in a large bowl mix the ginger, syrup, apples or quinces, orange juice and zest with the eggs, suet, sugar, crumbs and flour.
- Stir in the soaked fruit and spice.
- Grease the two pudding basins and divide the mix between them. Add coins now if using.
- Cut two circles of greaseproof paper to cover the top of the pudding and fold a pleat down the centre to allow pudding to expand.
- Put lids on the basins and steam puddings for 3½ hours.
- Let puddings cool before removing greaseproof paper and covering tightly with cling film and lid. The puddings can now be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
- To reheat, steam pudding for a further 3½ hours, turn out and flame with brandy.