* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Easy Christmas pudding
So simple, you don't even need to use scales for it...
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
For the butterscotch sauce5 minutesmins
Course: Dessert, Party food
Cuisine: British
Servings: 1pudding
Calories: 6881kcal
Author: BBC Good Food
Equipment
1.5 litre pudding bowl
steamer or large pan
Ingredients
1cupraisins
1 cupsultanas
1cup self-raising flour
1cupfinely grated butter(about 115g)
1 cupfresh brown breadcrumbs(from around 4 thick slices of bread)
1cuplight muscovado sugar
1cupmixed nutschopped, plus extra to decorate
1tspground cinnamon
1tspground mixed spice
1cup milk
1large egg
butterfor greasing
For the butterscotch sauce
85gbutter
100glight muscovado sugar
200mldouble cream
1tsp vanilla extract
Method
For the pudding, empty the first six cups and the nuts, if using, into a mixing bowl with the spices, then stir in the milk and egg. Once well combined, tip into a buttered one and a half litre pudding bowl.
Cover with a double layer of buttered foil, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil securely with string, then place in a steamer or large pan containing enough gently simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam, covered with a lid, for two and a half hours. Check the water level during cooking, topping up if necessary. If you are preparing this pudding ahead, remove the foil, let it cool slightly, then wrap in cling film and then fresh foil. If you are serving it immediately, unwrap and invert onto a deep plate.
For the sauce, put everything in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring. Allow to bubble away for two to three minutes, still stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is pale caramel in colour and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Pour the sauce over the pudding and decorate with the whole mixed nuts.
Notes
Recipe tips:The pudding can be made two to three weeks in advance and frozen in the bowl – thaw it completely before reheating. It can also be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated. Just make sure you bring it to room temperature for an hour or so before reheating. The sauce can also be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge – simply reheat it in a small pan over a low heat. To reheat the pudding, cover with fresh foil and steam for one and a half hours, or cover with cling film and microwave on high for seven minutes.