Ingredients
- 150gm plain flour
- 1 tsp mace or mixed spice (if you can’t get it use mixture of cinnamon and ginger)
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 100gm beef suet (difficult to get but margarine works as well)
- 500gm sultanas, raisons, currants mix or all of 1
- 75gm brown sugar
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 75gm breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 150m1 orange juice
Sieve flour and spices, add suet (margarine) dried fruit, sugar, lemon rind, carrot and breadcrumbs
Mix well and bind with beaten eggs and orange juice.
Put into greased pudding basin, cover with greaseproof paper – then a layer of alu foil paper tied on with string. To make a lifting handle, use additional alu foil that is long enough to fit over the bottom and sides of the bowl, plus 10cm extra on either side. Fold this piece into thirds lengthwise and slide it under the bowl and up and over the sides. Place basin in saucepan half filled with water bring to boil and simmer for 6 hours with the lid on.
Cooking in the pressure cooker is much quicker – half fill with water and steam without the lid for 30 minutes, put on lid and bring to pressure, lower the pressure then cook for 1.5 hours depending on size.
Serve with custard with a tbsp brandy added