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Alcohol-Free Christmas Pudding

Booze-free Christmas pudding with cranberries, pecans and orange zest.

Serves: 4 people | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 240 minutes

British | Vegetarian | Dessert

Ingredients

  • 100ml Apple juice
  • 150g Dried cranberries  
  • 200g Sultanas
  • 150g Raisins
  • 1 Apple, peeled and grated
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 100g Light brown soft sugar
  • 100g Self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon  
  • 50g Ground almonds
  • 50g Pecan halves
  • 75g Unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2 Medium free range eggs

To Serve:

  • 300ml Crème fraîche
  • Zest of 1 orange

  

Method

  1. Place the apple juice in a large, heavy-based saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the dried fruit to a large mixing bowl and add the orange zest and juice. Pour the warmed apple juice over the dried fruit and mix well. Leave the fruit to steep in the juice for at least 1 hour.
  2. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, almonds and pecans to a large mixing bowl. Grate the butter into the bowl along with the eggs and fold together to form a batter, then stir in the steeped fruit.
  3. Grease a 1.2 litre pudding basin and cut a small circle of baking parchment to line the base. Spoon in the pudding batter and level the top with the back of a spoon.
  4. To make the lid for the pudding, cut a 30cm square of tin foil and baking parchment. Place the foil shiny side down and place the greaseproof paper on top. Grease the baking parchment with butter. Fold a 3cm pleat into the centre of the foil and parchment – this allows for expansion during steaming. Place the lid buttered side down over the top of the pudding basin, secure with string and trim any excess foil.
  5. Place an upturned plate into the base of a large saucepan and place the pudding on top of the plate. Boil the kettle and add boiling water to around half-way up the pudding basin.
  6. Simmer for 4 hours, keeping an eye on the water level. Top up with water as necessary – don’t allow the pan to boil dry.
  7. Allow the pudding to cool completely, store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
  8. When ready to serve, reheat the pudding using the above steaming method for 2 hours or remove the foil and reheat in the microwave.
  9. Just before serving, fold the orange zest through the crème fraîche and serve alongside the pudding.