Recipe: Christmas pudding with spiced creme fraiche
How to Make:
- Combine fruit, raisins and brandy or rum in a bowl. Cover. Set aside for 1 hour or overnight, to soak.
- Combine flour, sugar, allspice, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla seeds in a bowl. Add suet. Pour boiling water into a jug. add butter. Stir until butter melts. Add bicarb. Pour into flour mixture. add fruit mixture. Mix well.
- Soak a large piece of calico in cold water. Wring to remove excess water. Place on a work surface. sprinkle well with plain flour. Place mixture in a ball in centre of calico. gather corners together. Tie tightly with kitchen string. Form a loop of string to lift and hang pudding.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to boil over medium heat. gently add pudding. Cover. Simmer for 5 1/2 hours, refilling with boiling water when needed. Remove pudding. Hang in a cool, dark place overnight, until calico is dry. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- To serve, simmer pudding for 2 hours, following the method in step 4. Hang for 10 minutes. Unwrap. Place on a plate.
- Meanwhile, for spiced creme fraiche, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover. Place in the fridge.
- Dust pudding with icing sugar. Top with creme fraiche.
Time for preparing:
450 min.
Servings:
18
Ingredients:
- 750g mixed dried fruit
- 375g raisins
- 400ml brandy or rum
- 600g (4 cups) plain flour
- 320g (2 cups) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 vanilla beans, seeds scraped
- 250g fresh beef suet, grated (see Notes)
- 375ml (1 1/2 cups) water, boiling
- 20g butter
- 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
- Plain flour, extra, to sprinkle
- Icing sugar, to dust Spiced creme fraiche
- 500g creme fraiche
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Large pinch ground ginger
