Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

• 50 g blanched almonds
• 2 large Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 200 g candied peel (or all citron), finely chopped
• ¾ whole nutmeg, grated
• 1 kg raisins
• 140 g plain flour
• 100 g soft fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100 g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy or cognac (plus extra to flame)
• 250 g butter, grated cold
• 175 g unsalted butter, softened
• Grated zest of half an orange
• 5 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp brandy or cognac
• 2 pieces stem ginger, finely chopped

Instructions:

• Coarsely chop the almonds and finely chop the candied peel. Grate three-quarters of the nutmeg. In a large bowl, mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, sugar, eggs, and 2 tbsp brandy or cognac.
• Grate the cold butter into the mixture a quarter at a time, stirring after each addition. Stir the mixture thoroughly for 3–4 minutes, until it slightly subsides after stirring. (Optional: let family members take a turn stirring and making a wish!)
• Generously butter two 1.2-liter pudding bowls and line the bottoms with circles of baking parchment. Pack the pudding mixture into the bowls, leaving some space for expansion. Cover each with a pleated double layer of baking parchment and tie securely with string.
• Place a trivet or an inverted heatproof plate in the bottom of your Crock-Pot to elevate the pudding bowls. Pour boiling water into the Crock-Pot until it reaches halfway up the sides of the bowls.
• Place the prepared pudding bowls into the Crock-Pot. Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on High for 8 hours, ensuring the water level is maintained by adding more boiling water as needed.
• Once cooked, carefully remove the bowls and let the puddings cool completely. Remove the parchment and foil, and re-wrap with fresh parchment, foil, and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
• Reheat the pudding in the Crock-Pot on High for 1 hour. Place it on the trivet with enough water to reach halfway up the bowl as before.
• Cream the softened butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Chill in a small bowl, fluffing the surface with a fork for presentation.
• Heat 3–4 tbsp of brandy in a small pan until warm (but not boiling). Pour over the pudding and ignite carefully. Serve immediately with the brandy and ginger butter.