Michelle's Freefrom Christmas Pudding with Brandy 'Butter'

Gluten, lactose, milk, nightshade, peanut, sesame & wheat free; can be corn, egg, nut & soya free

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 40g / 1½ oz raisins
  • 30g / 1 oz sultanas (golden raisins)
  • 40g / 1½ oz currants
  • 20g / 1 oz glacé cherries, halved
  • 20g / 1 oz ready to eat prunes, chopped
  • 20g / 1 oz dried apricots, chopped
  • 20g / oz dried dates or figs, chopped
  • 20g / 1 oz fresh or dried cranberries
  • grated rind and juice ½ large orange
  • grated rind and juice ½ large lemon
  • ½ Bramley cooking apple, skin on, chopped finely in a food processor
  • 10g / ¼ oz fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated or ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground mace
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 20g / 1oz flaked almonds or pine nuts (optional)
  • 50g / 2oz gram (chickpea) flour or polenta (cornmeal) flour
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • 75ml / 2½ fl oz (100ml / 3½ fl oz if you are not using egg) brandy or extra
    fruit juice, or a combination of the two
  • ladleful of brandy or whisky

Method

  1. Mix all the fruits with the spices and nuts, if you are using them, and flours.
  2. Mix in the egg, if you are using it, and brandy or fruit juices. Stir thoroughly.
  3. Spoon into a bowl big enough to be able to leave approx 3 cm (1½") space at the top.
  4. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof (waxed) paper and secure with rubber bands or string.
  5. Put in a large saucepan with water 2/3 of the way up the bowl.
  6. Bring to a gentle boil, cover the pan and steam for 2-3 hours.
  7. Remove from the pan, replace the greaseproof (waxed) paper with fresh, and store in a cool place till needed.
  8. To serve, either re-steam for 2 hours or heat in a micro-wave (good but not quite as good as steaming) for 2-3 minutes.
  9. Warm a ladleful of brandy over the heat, pour over the pudding and light!

Serves 6 - per portion

150cals - 3.5g protein
3.5g total fat - 0.5g sat / 1g mono / 1.8g poly
24g carbohydrate of which 17g sugar
2g fibre - 28mg sodium / 0.07g salt
35mg calcium

No-butter Brandy Butter

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 100g / 3½ oz dairy-free spread - we used PURE organic
  • 100g / 3½ oz pale muscovado (raw) sugar
  • 4-6 tbsp brandy

Method

  1. Beat the spread hard with the sugar till it is light and fluffy.
  2. Add the brandy, and more sugar if needed, to taste.

Serves 6 - per portion

223cals - 0g protein
14g total fat - 3g sat / 4g mono / 6g poly
17g carbohydrate of which 17g sugar
0g fibre - 113mg sodium / 0.2g salt
1mg calcium

We have over 800 delicious freefrom recipes on this site all of which are gluten free, most of which are dairy and lactose free and many of which are free of most other allergens. Please go to the following sections to try them out: