This extravagant Christmas pudding recipe with Port is simply sensational. Soaking the dried fruit overnight in Port adds to the fruity flavours of the pudding and helps to ensure that the Christmas pudding stays light and moist. Enjoy!
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 Port 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. Butter the two pudding basins and divide the mix between them.
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 Christmas pudding for a further 3½ hours, turn out and flame with brandy.
Enjoy with a glass of Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny Port.