Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2 hours

Total time: 2:30 plus maturation

Dietary: Eggs, Dairy

Meal type: Dessert

Misc:

Occasion: Christmas

Author: dghchocolatier

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Ingredients

  • 40g sultanas
  • 40g currants
  • 40g dried figs, chopped
  • 40g raisins
  • 60g sour cherries
  • 15g black treacle
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 1 small apple, cored, peeled then grated
  • 30 ml rum
  • 40 ml ginger wine
  • 40g plain flour
  • ½ orange zest and juice
  • 5g cinnamon 20g white almonds chopped
  • 25g molasses sugar
  • 15g cocoa powder
  • 7.5g mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 85g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2.5 ml vanilla extract

Method

Mix together the dried fruit, treacle, olive oil, apple, and rum cover and leave for 4 hours, or overnight.

The next day mix all the other dry ingredients together.

Add the egg to the fruit and mix well.

Finally add the dry ingredients and mix.

Put the mixture in a pudding bowl, 17cm in diameter and 9cm deep, and cover with a circle of greaseproof paper.

Place a large piece of foil on top of a large piece of greaseproof paper, then fold in the centre to make a pleat.

Place the pleated papers on top of the pudding basin and use a long piece of string to tightly tie the papers just below the rim of the basin. With an extra piece of string, tie a long loop across the top – you can use this as a handle to help lift the pudding in and out of the pan.

Place a heatproof dish in the bottom of a large pan and put the pudding on top. Fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin, then cover with a tightly fitting lid or foil.

Bring the water to the boil, then simmer gently for 2-3 hours.

(Check the water level occasionally and add extra boiling water to stop the pan boiling dry.)

I haven’t found it necessary to feed this Christmas pudding, as steaming it means that it stays moist during cooking.

But some people do like to feed their puddings and you could do this if you like, but I’d only use a little alcohol and again make sure that the pudding is properly re-wrapped before steaming.

Serve with custard, brandy sauce or a rum sauce.