Ultimate Christmas Pudding

Delicious pudding made a fortnight before Christmas. Didn't use the right sherry but it was still fantastic.

• 150 gram(s) currants
• 150 gram(s) sultanas
• 150 gram(s) prunes (scissored into pieces)
• 175 ml sherry (pedro ximenez)
• 100 gram(s) plain flour
• 125 gram(s) white breadcrumbs
• 150 gram(s) suet
• 150 gram(s) dark muscovado sugar
• 1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• ¼ ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 lemon(s) (zest and juice)
• 3 medium egg(s)
• 1 medium cooking apple (peeled and grated)
• 2 tablespoon(s) honey
• 125 ml vodka

1. Although I stipulate a capacious 1.7 litre/3 pint basin, and cannot extol the utter gloriousness of this pud too much, I know that you’re unlikely to getthrough most of it, even half of it, at one sitting. But I like the grand, pride instilling size of this, plus it’s wonderful on following days, microwaved in portionsafter or between meals, with leftover Eggnog Cream, or fried in butter and eaten with vanilla ice cream for completely off-the-chart, midnight-munchyfeasts. But it wouldn’t be out of the question – and it would certainly be in the spirit of the season – to make up the entire quantity of mixture, and share between smaller basins – a 2 pint one for you, a 1 pint one to give away. Three hours’ steaming both first and second time around should do it; just keep theone pudding for yourself, and give the other to a friend, after it’s had its first steaming, and is cool, with the steaming instructions for Christmas Day.
2. Put the currants, sultanas and scissored prunes into a bowl with the Pedro Ximénez, swill the bowl a bit, then cover with clingfilm and leave to steep overnight or for up to 1 week.
3. When the fruits have had their steeping time, put a large pan of water on to boil, or heat some water in a conventional steamer, and butter your heatproof plastic pudding basin (or basins), remembering to grease the lid, too.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining pudding ingredients, either in the traditional manner or just any old how; your chosen method of stirring, and who does it, probably won’t affect the outcome of your wishes or your Christmas.
5. Add the steeped fruits, scraping in every last drop of liquor with a rubber spatula, and mix to combine thoroughly, then fold in cola-cleaned coins or heirloom charms. If you are at all frightened about choking-induced fatalities at the table, do leave out the hardware.
6. Scrape and press the mixture into the prepared pudding basin, squish it down and put on the lid. Then wrap with a layer of foil (probably not necessary, but I do it as I once had a lid-popping and water-entering experience when steaming a pudding) so that the basin is watertight, then either put the basin in the pan of boiling water (to come halfway up the basin) or in the top of a lidded steamer (this size of basin happens to fit perfectly in the top of my all-purpose pot) and steam for 5 hours, checking every now and again that the water hasn’t bubbled away.
7. When it’s had its 5 hours, remove gingerly (you don’t want to burn yourself) and, when manageable, unwrap the foil, and put the pudding in its basin somewhere out of the way in the kitchen or, if you’re lucky enough, a larder, until Christmas Day.
8. On the big day, rewrap the pudding (still in its basin) in foil and steam again, this time for 3 hours. Eight hours combined cooking time might seem a faff, but it’s not as if you need to do anything to it in that time.
9. To serve, remove from the pan or steamer, take off the lid, put a plate on top, turn it upside down and give the plastic basin a little squeeze to help unmould the pudding. Then remove the basin – and voilà, the Massively Matriarchal Mono Mammary is revealed. (Did I forget to mention the Freudian lure of the pudding beyond its pagan and Christian heritage?)
10. Put the sprig of holly on top of the dark, mutely gleaming pudding, then heat the vodka in a small pan (I use my diddy copper butter-melting pan) and the minute it’s hot, but before it boils – you don’t want the alcohol to burn off before you attempt to flambé it – turn off the heat, strike a match, stand back and light the pan of vodka, then pour the flaming vodka over the pudding and take it as fast as you safely can to your guests. If it feels less dangerous to you (I am a liability and you might well be wiser not to follow my devil-may-care instructions), pour the hot vodka over the pudding and then light the pudding. In either case, don’t worry if the holly catches alight; I have never known it to be anything but singed.
11. Serve with the Eggnog Cream, which you can easily make - it's the work of undemanding moments - while the pudding's steaming.

From Nigella Lawson's website.

Nigella's Lemon Drizzle

From Nigella Lawson - How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake:

125g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

2 large eggs

zest of 1 lemon

175g self raising flour

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons milk

23x13x7cm loaf tin buttered and lined

For the syrup:

juice of 1 and a half lemons

100g icing sugar

For the glaze:

juice of 1/2 a lemon

150g icing sugar

To Make The Cake:

Preheat your oven to 180 C/ gas mark 4.

Butter and line your loaf tin well.

Cream together butter and sugar and add eggs and lemon zest, beating them in well.

Gently fold in the flour and the salt, mixing thoroughly and then add the milk.

Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 45 mins or until cake tester comes out clean.

For the syrup:

Put the lemon juice and icing sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves

As soon as cake is out of oven, puncture all over with skewer and pour over the syrup.

Leave cake to cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the glaze:

Combine lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth and white, add a little more icing sugar if needed.  Make sure your cake is completely cool before drizzling with the glaze.

From The Extraordinorary Art of Cake blog.

Butternut squash & sage risotto

• 1kg butternut squash , peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• bunch sage , leaves picked, half roughly chopped, half left whole
• 1½ l vegetable stock
• 50g butter
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 300g risotto rice (we used arborio)
• 1 small glass white wine
• 50g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated

1. Before you make the risotto, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until it is brown and soft.
2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 mins until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
3. Pour in the wine and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.
4. At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir though the purée, then add the cheese and butter and leave to rest for a few mins. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash and the crisp sage leaves.

Very tasty! Made for Clare and Andy 26th Sept 12.

Flour Tortilla Wraps

Made a quarter of the recipe. Hard to roll super thin so used a bit of extra butter and hot water but perhaps a bit more hot water would help next time. 

Ingredients:

Serves: 60

• 800g (1 3/4 lb) plain flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 350ml (12 fl oz) boiling water

Preparation:

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins

1.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Rub in butter to resemble texture of polenta. Add water slowly, mixing with your hands to make a soft dough. You may not need all the water.

2.

Knead a few minutes on floured surface until smooth and elastic. Lubricate top with oil, put back in bowl and let rest, covered for 10 minutes.

3.

Divide into small balls the size of golf balls and proceed to roll out into size and thickness you prefer.

4.

Cook in dry heavy frying pan until top is slightly bubbly then turning on opposite side for a minute or two. Keep stacked and warm inside a clean tea towel.

Recipe from Allrecipes