Stir-up Sunday - Guinness Christmas Pudding

Today is traditionally Stir-up Sunday and I decided to make my first ever Christmas pudding using the Guinness Pudding recipe that appeared in last month GFM. The fruit had been soaking in the Guinness since Saturday lunchtime and was beautifully plump by the time it came to make the pudding this afternoon. I didn't realise until I came to make the pudding that I didn't have any muscovado sugar and had to replace it with a mix of soft dark brown sugar and demerera sugar.

I also misinterpreted the recipe, it states "spoon in mixture into bowl and level the top". I read this to mean fill the bowl right to the top and level it off. This misinterpretation produced startling results when the pudding began to rise and lifted the saucepan lid that it was steaming in. Serves me right for squeezing a 1.2 litre (2lb) pudding into a 1 litre pudding basin! However, now the pudding has cooled it has sunk back down to normal proportions.

I did come across this crazy looking pudding basin and I'm very tempted to buy it for next year! It looks and smells like a Christmas pudding so I couldn't have gone too wrong! We'll have to wait until Boxing Day to taste it.

Guinness Christmas Pudding
Based on GFM recipe.
makes 1x 2lb pudding

500g luxury mixed fruit
100g dates, chopped
250ml guinness (or another stout)
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
1 medium brambley apple, peeled and grated
100g cold butter, grated, plus extra for the basin
100g dark muscovado sugar, plus 2 tbsp
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
50g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs , beaten

1) In a large bowl soak the mixed fruit, dates, orange & lemon zest and apple in the guinness for 24-48 hours.

2) Butter a 2lb pudding tin then lightly coat the butter in 2tbsp of muscovado sugar by slowly tipping and turning the bowl.

3) Add the remaining ingredients to the fruit that has been soaking. Stir until well combined. Spoon into the basin and level.

4) Take a sheet or foil and greaseproof and make a pleat in the middle (this allows for the expanding pudding). Place over the top of the pudding bowl and fix in place with string.

5) Sit the pudding bowl on top of an upturned heatproof saucer inside a saucepan. Pour boiling water half the way up the pudding. Cover and steam for 6 hours. Top water up as required.

6. Once the pudding is cooked cover with fresh greasproof paper and foil. Store in a cool dry place. To reheat either cook in the microwave (minus the foil), on medium, for 10 or steam for a further hour.

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