My family’s famous Christmas pudding recipe

My grandmother has the most amazing Christmas pudding recipe that she has passed down the family and has been so kind to share with us today.

As you can see, she handwrote this and it was one of those recipes you hold so close to your heart, plus it doesn’t hurt that it tastes great!

Here’s my grandmother’s recipe for making a delicious pudding for your family.

Ingredients

• 450g butter
• 2 cups castor sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 10 eggs
• 2 cups currants
• 1/2 cup dates and prunes
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups sultanas
• 1/2 cup mixed peel
• 1/2 cup Jordan almonds
• 5 cups fine white breadcrumbs
• 2.5 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp parisian essence

Method

1. Prepare fruit, and blanch and chop almonds
2. Beat butter, sugar, salt and grated lemon rind until creamy
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg
4. Mix flour and breadcrumbs together
5. Add small quantity, then fruits, mixed alternately until all used up
6. Add essence, brandy, cinnamon and vanilla
7. Mix thoroughly
8. Pressed into buttered basins, filling each full
9. Cover with buttered paper, then pudding cloth
10. Tie with string around the rim of the basin
11. Plunge into boiling water
12. Boil for 6 hours and again for 2 hours on the day they are to be use

The puddings will keep longer if cooked in basins. This quantity makes 2 good-sized puddings. Served with custard or brandy sauce.