We're very lucky to have this one. It's been a family recipe for decades and its been kindly donated to our customers.
Ingredients
12 oz Self Raising Flour
1-2 tsp mixed spice
8 oz butter
8 oz caster sugar
5 large eggs (beaten with 1/4 pint milk or milk/sherry or milk/brandy (brandy for a moist cake)
10 oz currants
10 oz sultanas
10 oz raisins
8 oz halved glace cherries
Preparation method
1. Pre-heat oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2/300F.
2. Sieve the flour and add mixed spice.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Stir in flour, butter and beaten egg mixture (little at a time)
5. Add all fruit and mix well.
7. Pour into a 9" round greased cake tin or use greaseproof paper. Cover the top with greaseproof paper to prevent burning.
6. Bake in the oven for 4 hours. Do not open the oven door for at least 2 hours or the cake will not rise.
7. Remove and leave to cool before removing from tin.
This one is so rich, it should definitely remind you of Christmas past, but it keeps up to a year in a cool place, so if you make too much, you can be sure your puddings won't spoil.
The recipe makes enough for 1.5kg of pudding. It will fill two medium-sized (16in) pudding basins, or a large (20in) one.
Ingredients
175g (6oz) shredded suet
175g (6oz) soft brown or demerara sugar
175g (6oz) seedless raisins
175g (6oz) stoned prunes
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
100g (4oz) chopped mixed peel
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs
150ml (5 fl oz) milk
Preparation method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Beat the eggs and the milk until frothy then stir into the dried ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Allow to stand in a cool place (not the fridge) for 12 hours.
3. Put mixture into pudding basins and cover with a layer of folded greaseproof paper. Tie with string.
4. Cook, covered in a water bath, for 3 hours. Keep 4-5cm (1-2in) simmering water in the pan at all times. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 1 1/4 hours.
5. Allow to cool and store in a cool, dark place.
6. Before serving, steam for an hour in a saucepan (or for 30mins in a pressure cooker).
7. Flame with brandy and serve with all the usual asides.
Note: It is as well to parboil the carrots and turnips before adding them to the meat, and to use some of the liquor in which they were boiled as a substitute for gravy; that is to say, when there is no gravy at hand. Be particular to cut the onions in very thin slices.
Ingredients
About 2 lbs. of cold roast beef
2 small onions
1 large carrot or two small ones
1 turnip
A small bunch of savoury herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoonfuls of gravy
3 tablespoonfuls of ale
Crust or mashed potatoes
Preparation method
1. Cut the beef in slices, allowing a small amount of fat to each slice.
2. Place a layer of this in the bottom of a pie-dish, with a portion of the onions, carrots, and turnips, which must be sliced.
3. Mince the herbs, strew them over the meat, and season with pepper and salt.
4. Then put another layer of meat, vegetables, and seasoning; and proceed in this manner until all the ingredients are used.
5. Mince the herbs, strew them over the meat, and season with pepper and salt.
6. Pour in the gravy and ale (water may be substituted for the former, but it is not so nice).
7. Cover with a crust or mashed potatoes, and bake for 1/2 hour, or rather longer.
(serves 5-6)
New Close Farm, Witton Road, Sacriston, Durham, DH7 6NB E-mail: New Close Farm Shop
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