Christmas Pudding

I know some of you will be hosting Christmas lunch or dinner having families members and friends get together.  There are so much to prepare for this special day, right?  

There are food and dishes that you can prepare ahead of time.  What dessert are you preparing for this day?  I know when you see this dessert that I have made, it might scared you off but nevertheless this type of dessert or cake is my all time favourite.  This type of mixed fruits cake if very well done, it can be kept for very long; in months and can be year too.

Mixed Fruits & Dates Christmas Pudding

Recipe sourced from The Kitchen Finesse with changes

Ingredients
250g flour
200g cane sugar (I used only 160g light brown sugar)
250ml water (I used only 200ml)
120g butter
2 eggs
400g mixed dried fruits
100g dates, chopped small

1/3 cup cognac 

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of ground nutmeg

Method
Combine dried fruits in a bowl and macerated with cognac overnight.

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and cook until sugar dissolves. Place in butter to melt and cool to room temperature. Sieve together flour,  spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in butter mixture and eggs then add soaked fruit mixture.  

Brush a 2 liter capacity pudding bowl with butter, line the base with a circle of baking paper and dust with flour. Pour pudding mixture into bowl.

Cover with a layer of  greased proof paper followed by foil. Place pudding into a large saucepan with a wire rack or a plate lining the base. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and simmer for 4.5 hours, topping up water when necessary. 

 

 Serve this with your favourite whipped cream or vanilla custard as suggested by

Vera of TheKitchenFinesse

 I am submitting this to the "Baby Sumo's Christmas Recipes Collection 2013" event which is hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out.

I’m submitting this post to  Aspiring Bakers #38: Boozy-licious (December 2013) hosted by Jasline of Foodie Baker