LAWRENCE MURPHY: Figgy pudding
A Christmas pudding takes several hours to put together and about eight hours of steaming. You have to keep an eye on the pot, topping up the water almost every two hours.
It’s cooled and in my house fed brandy a little at a time in the four weeks until the big day where it takes another two hours of steaming.
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Hide AdA lot of effort considering it generally doesn’t all get eaten as we have stuffed our faces beforehand.
Left-over Christmas pudding is lovely fried with scallops – trust me.
You could buy your pudding from the supermarket but it wouldn’t be the same. So, you might want an alternative to the traditional pudding that doesn’t take up so much of your time.
Here is a recipe for a fig and date pudding with toffee sauce which I think would work a treat.
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Hide AdIt’s lighter than a Christmas pudding as I use gluten-free flour, so you might just have room for it after the turkey. You don’t have to save this recipe for the festive season as it’s a wonderful winter pudding which both grown-ups and children adore.
Figgy pudding
Ingredients
60g dried figs chopped
50g stoned dried dates chopped
150ml water
Half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
35g butter
100g brown sugar
Dessert spoon golden syrup
2 eggs
130g gluten-free self-raising flour
130g gluten-free flour
Method
1. Put figs, dates and water into saucepan. Bring to boil.
2. Add bicarb. Remove from heat.
3. Cool slightly. Transfer to blender.
4. Add sugar, butter and golden syrup. Blend until smooth.
5. Gradually add eggs and flour until incorporated.
6. Divide into six greased dariole moulds. Cook in pre-heated oven gas 3/150C for 30 minutes (check they’re cooked by inserting skewer which should emerge clean – if not, cook for a little longer and check again).
7. Remove from moulds. Pour on toffee sauce (recipe below).
Ingredients
200g caster sugar
75 ml water
Dessert spoon glucose
100g butter
150ml double cream
Method
1. Put sugar, water and glucose in saucepan. Put on low heat.
2. When liquid has cleared turn heat up slightly.
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Hide Ad3. The liquid will gradually change to light brown getting darker the longer you cook it. Do not over-cook. Once you have caramel colour remove from heat and put pan in empty sink.
4. Carefully add cream to pan. It will bubble like crazy.
5. Once bubbling stops put back on heat. Whisk in butter.
6. You can let toffee sauce go cold. Reheat when needed. Store in fridge for up to seven days.
Lawrence’s restaurant is Fat Olives at Emsworth – fatolives.co.uk on 01243 377914.