Festive Spiced Pudding

Last year I was 35 weeks pregnant and cooked a Christmas meal at home for a few visiting family members.  I think perhaps it was the ‘nesting’ kicking in that got me through this period, I was very large and surprisingly energetic.

Along with my old favourites from my trusty Nigella’s Christmas cookbook, I thought I could put a twist on a couple of things most notably the Christmas pudding.  Since there were only 6 adults, I looked to do an alternative to the traditional boiled Christmas pudding as I know more 20% of the guests were not huge pudding fans and I didn’t want them to feel as though they were eating it for politeness (and we didn’t need yet another dish of leftovers… what am I saying leftovers are the best bit of Christmas!)

I attempted a recipe I found online and it was a pudding that cooked in the oven like a cake and was served with a caramel sauce not unlike a Sticky Toffee / Date Pudding.  Why I followed this recipe I don’t know, since my mum’s Sticky Date Pudding is seriously one of the best puddings around and also one of the easiest.  One pot, one pan, that’s my kind of baking!!

So this year, I once again have decided against a traditional pudding and to try the non traditional version, Festive Spiced Pudding.  It can still be treated as a Christmas Pudding; served hot with a variety of the usual accompaniments ie; pouring cream, whipped cream, ice cream, hard sauce and also the most important – caramel sauce.

The personal touch is how you present it.  Do you like to plonk a big white dish of pudding to serve straight from the dish?  Or do you prefer a more refined presentation – individual ramekins with a swirl of sauce around pudding?  I thought since it is Christmas a little effort should be involved into this incredibly easy dessert and trialled a decorative Bundt tin.  It needs a lot of care in greasing and flouring to ensure a perfect result when turned out.  And this should only be sauced once out of the tin.  I must admit at the end of the day I love the impressive celebration of one big delicious pudding to serve at the table to your already stuffed guests – everyone should applaud!!

I like that we can do something different that makes us feel like we are not missing out not being at home but also reminding us of where we live.  I used local dried dates, they are smaller and not as juicy as the big medjool date but are perfect for a pudding – if you can get pitted dried dates, this is good, but still check for pips, I don’t think many dentists work on 25^th December.

I am running a bit late on this post so I promise that in a few days there will be another recipe for Christmas.

Festive Spiced Pudding

Recipe serves 8-10 people

Preheat the over to 180 degrees celcius (my gas oven was set at 190)

You will need cake tin or oven proof dish, indivdual ramekins are fine too if using – should get 6-8 portions.  Grease and flour your cooking tin.

Ingredients

• 220g pitted dates
• 60g dried cranberries
• Zest of 1 orange – about a tablespoon
• Juice of the zested orange plus water to make up 1 cup (250ml) of liquid
• 65g unsalted butter
• 185g sugar
• 185g self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce

• 250ml whipping cream
• 250g brown sugar
• 150g butter
• pinch of cinnamon

To Make

1. In 1 medium pot over a medium heat, place the dates, cranberries, sugar, butter and juice/water liquid.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes until sugar is dissolved, butter melted and the fruit has started to break down a little (cranberries just seem to plump up which is lovely).
2. Take pot off the heat and leave to cool for a short while (10-15 minutes).
3. Stir in flour, bicarb soda, spices and zest.  Lightly beat the eggs before mixing through quickly into the pot of pudding mix as it is warm and you don’t want scrambled eggs.
4. Transfer mix to your mix into the tin, place in oven and cook for about 30 minutes (about 20 minutes if individual tins).
5. While this is cooking prepare the sauce.  In a small pan combine sugar, cream and butter and heat and stir until butter is melted, sugar dissolved and all mixed in.  Stir in the cinnamon (a little pinch of nutmeg would also be nice here for some extra Christmas warmth).
6. Either keep pudding in your cooking dish or turn out onto a serving plate, but while cake is still hot, pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the pudding so it absorbs the sauce.  It is ready to serve with cream, ice cream etc..

PS – This is a brilliant dessert to prepare ahead of time and it freezes beautifully (with the sauce already poured into the pudding).  It can be reheated and served like you made it that day!

PPS – My son inhaled this pudding so it could be a good family option rather than having to serve an adults and kids dessert, and everyone loves ice cream!