Boiled Christmas pudding

Master the tradition of making boiled Christmas pudding with this detailed recipe on baking, wrapping and storing your pudding.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg Dried Fruit - including raisins, sultans, currants, dates, figs, apricots - whatever you like.
1 cup Brandy
250g Butter
250g Dark Brown Sugar
5 large eggs
1tsp Vanilla
1 Tbs Golden Syrup
300g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Mixed Spice

You will need a BIG POT, string and either 1x1m calico to make one big pudding, or two 60x60cm calico squares to make two small ones.

METHOD:

1. Soak the dried fruit overnight in a non-reactive bowl.

2. Cream the butter and the sugar really well.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.

4. Add the vanilla & golden syrup.

5. Sift the flour, baking powder & mixed spice and stir.

6. Add the soaked dried fruit.

At this point EVERY MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD must stir the pudding for good luck!# Bring a large pot filled 3/4 with water to the boil.

1. Rinse the calico squares really well, squeeze dry and spread out on the bench top.

2. Dust liberally with flour, put the pudding mixture in and tie up tightly with string as close to pudding as possible. Put a second knot in the string so you can later hang your pudding.

3. Put a saucer on the bottom of the pot and put your pudding carefully into the boiling water.

4. Boil 4 hours for a large pudding, 2 hours for two small puddings.

5. Hang your pudding on a broom somewhere relatively cool.

On the day boil your pudding for 1 hour before serving with either brandy butter, custard or best quality vanilla ice cream.

Check out the exclusive interview with recipe creator Katie Little here.