Boozy Christmas Pudding

Method:

Grease your 2 pint and ½ pint pudding basins, and set aside.  Meanwhile, place your dried fruit in a glass bowl, and soak with the sherry.

Cover, and let this stand overnight – you may wish to stir it before you go to bed so that all the sherry will have soaked itself properly into the fruit.

The following day, place the ground almonds and the other dried ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix.

Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Taste for sweetness, and mix again, until your mixture is soft and blended.

Spoon into your ready greased basins.

Now cover your bowls with greaseproof paper, and tighten string around the lip of the bowl. Add a further layer of aluminium foil, and, again, secure it by tying string round the lip of the bowl.

Place the pudding bowls in saucepans that are large enough for you to lift the bowls out of, and add enough hot water to cover half the height of the pudding bowls.

Cover and steam on a low heat for 4½ hours, keeping an eye on them periodically to ensure there is enough water – if not, top the water up.

Thanks to Mouth Watering Vegan for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 350g raisins
• 150g Sultanas (any other will do)
• 100g currants
• 100g cranberries
• 2 C  Sherry
• 4 Tbsp cognac
• 4 Tbsp candied peel
• 200g almonds, ground
• 100g almonds, chopped
• 120g wholemeal & plain flour mixed
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp mixed/all spice
• ½ tsp ground aniseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 215g muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp treacle
• 120g wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 250g vegetable suet (or coconut oil)
• 1 Tbsp oil
• zest & juice of 1 orange
• zest & juice of 1 lemon
• 1½ Tbsp date syrup or treacle
• 1 C of non-dairy milk