- To make the pudding, using clean hands, combine all ingredients except butter, oil and cherries in a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight.
- The next day, grease a 6-cup (1.5L) heatproof pudding bowl with butter and fill with pudding mixture. Place a 30cm x 40cm sheet of foil on a work surface, spray with oil and cover with a sheet of baking paper. Fold a 5cm pleat across the centre of both sheets (this allows pudding to expand as it cooks). Place sheets, baking paper-side down and with pleats in centre, over pudding bowl.
- Seal tightly with kitchen string, then tightly enclose entire bowl with plastic wrap 10 times to ensure it is watertight. Secure once more with kitchen string, making a handle across the top of bowl.
- Place in a large saucepan and fill with water to reach 2cm above pudding. Cover saucepan with foil, then secure with a lid. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, topping up pan with boiling water every 40 minutes, for 10 hours or until a skewer inserted in the center of pudding comes out clean. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, foil and baking paper, then invert pudding onto a plate. Remove bowl and pour over extra brandy. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 weeks for flavours to develop and pudding to darken.
- When ready to serve, place a steamer over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove plastic wrap, place pudding in steamer and cover with foil. Steam for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
- Meanwhile, for the brandy custard, place cream and vanilla seeds in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Whisk sugar, egg yolks and cornflour in a bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream mixture.
- Return mixture to pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until thickened and mixture coats back of a wooden spoon. Cool slightly. Stir in brandy.
- Place pudding on a platter, drizzle with custard and sprinkle with extra nutmeg. Serve with cherries and remaining custard.
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Christmas pud with brandy custard and cherriesThere's nothing better than a classic Christmas pudding! 
12 hours prep. 
10 hours cooking
Serves 8 |
Ingredients
- 200g dried figs, finely chopped
- 150g raisins
- 1/3 cup (70g) dried apricots, finely chopped
- 100g mixed peel
- 100g brown sugar
- 200g dried suet mix (from supermarkets)
- 2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups (100g) stale breadcrumbs
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped, pod discarded
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, plus extra to serve
- 2 eggs
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 1/3 cup (80ml) brandy, plus extra 1/4 cup (60ml) to soak
- 600ml milk
- Softened unsalted butter and sunflower oil spray, to grease
- Fresh cherries, to serve
- 600ml thickened cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped, pod discarded
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tbs cornflour
- 2 tbs brandy
