Cherry pecan Christmas pudding #Christmas #pudding

This lighter model of the traditional Christmas pud is still full of festive flavours - citrus zest and brandy are delivered to this nutty spiced fruitcake.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g mixed dried fruit
• 200g pot glacé cherries, 85g halved (we used morello glacé cherries)
• 50g mixed peel
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 1 orange, zested and segments cut out
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 100ml brandy
• 50ml Disaronno
• 100g butter, frozen, plus 25g soft butter and extra for greasing
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 50g blanched almond, half of each chopped
• 50g pecan
•  nuts, half of each chopped
• 100g self-raising flour
• 175g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• sprig of holly, to decorate (optional)

METHOD

1. put the mixed fruit, halved glacé cherries, blended peel, carrot, and lemon and orange zest in a bowl with the sugar and spice. Pour inside the lemon juice and alcohol, and stir clearly nicely. cover and go away to soak overnight.
2. warmth oven to 160C/140C fan/gasoline 3 and positioned a complete kettle of water directly to boil. Grease a 1.five-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Stir the eggs into the fruit combination, then stir within the chopped nuts, flour and breadcrumbs. eventually, grate in the frozen butter, stirring the combination frequently in order that it flippantly disperses.
3. For the topping, blend the smooth butter and golden syrup collectively, and spread over the bottom of the basin. Pile inside the whole cherries, orange segments and whole nuts, breaking the pecans in half of as you upload them. try now not to just make a thick layer of fruit and nuts on the bottom – ease some up the facet too. Spoon in the pudding mixture and level the pinnacle, then cover with baking parchment and foil. Tie the top with string or an extra-big rubber band, then place in a roasting tin and pour within the water from the kettle. cover the whole lot with a tent of foil to seal in all the steam, then area in the oven for six hrs. This gives a light pudding, so if you choose a darker one, cook for up to 8 hrs. Will maintain inside the fridge for 1 month. if you want it to ultimate longer, omit the orange segments.
4. To serve, steam in a huge pan with an upturned saucer on the base for 2 hrs, then turn out and enhance with holly, if you like. Serve with Brandy syrup cream (see 'goes properly with').