Traditional Christmas Pudding (with activated nuts & a vegan twist)
Ingredients
Dried Fruit
- 400 g Dried fruit and mixed peel see notes above
Nuts
- 140 g activated nuts, blitzed to a fine crumb to activate your nuts, simply soak them in water over night, rinse and drain before processing to a chunky texture in your food processor
Fruit Juice & Zest
- 1/2 juice & zest orange
- 1 apple
- 1 zest only lemon
Sugar
- 175 g molasses - granulated do not sub for the syrup as it will be far too strong. Sub for Dark Brown Muscovado sugar if you cannot find granulated molasses
- 1 tbsp molasses - syrup
Spices
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Breadcrumbs & Flour
- 50 g breadcrumbs I used sourdough for extra goodness
- 100 g wholemeal self raising flour
Fats, Gelling & Liquid
- 130 g coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds
- 150 mls plantbased milk I used oat - make your own byt whizzing 1 heaped tbsp oats in your blender with 150mls water
Instructions
- Fill a kettle and turn on to boil. You wil need 1 large mixing bowl, a pudding bowl (size 16cmwidth x 9cm height), 2 lengths of string and a large pan.
- Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the mixture to your pudding bowl (16cm width x 9cm height) and press down to remove any air bubbles.
- Create a cover by tearing 2 equal sized pieces of greaseproof paper and create a pleat fold down the middle. Place this over the bowl.
- Now do the same with a piece of foil - create a pleat fold then place it on top of the greaseproof paper.
- Secure the cover you have created with a piece of string around the top of the bowl and a 2nd piece of string coming from under the bowl and tied on top to create a handle for lowering and lifting the pudding before and after steaming.
- In a large pan, place an upturned pan lid in the bottom, then place the pudding bowl on top of the lid ensuring it is well balanced.
- Now carefully pour in the boiled water from the kettle until it comes halfway up the bowl.
- Place the lid on the pan (not too securely).
- Turn the heat on the lowest setting possible. It will need to steam for 4 hours.
- Check the water level during the steaming time. I did not need to add any more water during the 4 hours but your lowest heat setting may be higher than mine which will evaporate the water more quickly. Just top it up with a glass of water if needed.
- After 4 hours, your pudding will be nicely steamed. Turn off the heat and remove the pudding by lifting with the handle you made from string.
- Leave it to cool on a heat proof pad or plate. Once it is cooled, it is ready to be removed from the pudding bowl. Gently ease it out with a pallet knife or similar.
- Serve warm with brandy-infused coconut cream or vegan custard.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!