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WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1kg Mixed fruit
250g dates
250 g raisins
2 cups water (500ml)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
250 g butter
2 teaspoons bi car soda
3 eggs
2 cups plain flour
2 cups self raising flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup rum (60ml)
WHAT TO DO:
Place the fruit, roughly chopped dates, raisins, water, sugars, salt and butter in a pan.
Stir over low heat until butter has melted, simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in bi carb soda.
Allow to stand until mixture is completely cold.
Lightly beat together the eggs and rum, stir into cold mixture.
Add sifted flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and mix well till the mixture is combined.
To Steam:
Fill into a well greased 4-litre pudding basin.
Steam for 6 hours, replenish with boiling water every 20 minutes.
Re – steam for 2 hours on day of serving.
To Boil:
Prepare the pudding cloth by cutting a piece of calico into a 62 cm square, drop this into a pan of boiling water for 30 minutes.
Remove, wring out excess water, spread out the cloth and cover liberally with flour. (Flouring gives the pudding a better skin)
Place puffing mixture to centre of cloth, round in shape, mould into a slight peak at top.
Gather corners of cloth and sides, pull up tight to achieve an even round shape and tie top (wrapping around cloth firmly and about 10 times) with string, allowing about 2 ½ cm overhang of cloth.
Lower pudding into large pan of boiling water, lower in pudding and place on a lid, boil for required time, ensuring it is always on the boil.
At end of cooking time, lift out pudding and tie the excess cloth at the top so they do not touch pudding, leave to hang overnight.
On day of serving, reboil for further 2 hours.
Pudding can also be removed from cloth and individual pieces heated on low heat in the microwave.
Serve with a good brandy custard or sauce anglaise and whipped sweet butter.
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