Christmas plum pudding

moist, not-too-dark-and-heavy plum pudding that will only get better over time. Use a heatproof 2 or 2.5 litre pudding basin, in which case you will need foil and string with which to cover and seal it, or a similarly sized pudding steamer with lid.

Feeds 8

• 200 g dates, pitted
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200 ml boiling water
• 200 g raisins
• 200 g currants
• 200 g sultanas
• 100 g mixed peel
• 1 green apple, grated
• 100 ml brandy
• 250 ml orange juice
• 200 g butter
• 200 g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100 g ground almonds
• 300 g soft bread crumbs from 2 day old bread
• 100 g plain flour
• 2 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• half tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of salt

1. Chop the dates and mix with bicarbonate of soda. Top with boiling water, stir and leave for 10 minutes to cool. Combine dried fruits in a bowl, add the grated apple, brandy, orange juice and the date mixture with its water, mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.
   
   
2. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the fruit mixture, ground almonds and breadcrumbs, and mix well. Add the sifted flour, spices and salt, and mix well.
   
   
3. Spoon into a buttered pudding basin, press down, and cover with buttered baking paper. Cover again with foil, pleated across the centre to allow room for expansion. Tie the foil tightly with string ( or even stretch a rubber band around it) then loop the string back over the top and tie again, giving yourself a handle. (If this gets too hard to think about, don't worry about it). Or spoon the mixture into a buttered, lidded pudding steamer, cover with buttered baking paper and secure the lid firmly, so that the bubbling water cannot get in.
   
   
4. Place the pudding basin in a large pot and fill with water to reach half way up the sides of the basin. Remove the basin and bring water to the boil, then return basin to the water. Cover and boil for 6 hours, topping up the water if need be. Drain and cool in its container.
   
   
5. To store, remove the cold pudding from the container and wrap in fresh greaseproof pudding and foil. Store in a cool, dark place or refrigerate for up to 3 months.
   
   
6. To reheat, remove the foil and paper and return to the basin or pudding steamer and prepare for cooking as before. Cook in simmering water for another 2 hours. Unwrap, turn out, and serve.
   
   
7. To microwave: Cover with microwave-safe cling film and microwave on medium (50%) for about 15 minutes. Stand for 2 minutes, then turn out and serve.