Ingredients
1 cup sultanas
½ cup currants
½ cup chopped raisins
½ cup chopped dates
½ cup mixed peel
½ cup chopped prunes
½ cup coffee liqueur
125 g unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup golden syrup
2 eggs
¾ cup plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
100 g dark chocolate, finely grated
1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
Christmas decorations, to decorate
Vanilla anglaise
2 x 200 ml tubs pure cream
¾ cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved, seeds scraped
6 egg yolks
½ cup caster sugar
Method
- Combine dried fruit in large bowl. Pour over liqueur. Stir to coat. Cover. Stand at room temperature overnight, or up to one week, stirring occasionally.
- Grease a 6-cup capacity (1.5 litre) pudding steamer. Line base with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and golden syrup in small bowl of electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.
- Pour over soaked fruit in bowl. Stir well. Sift flour and spice over top. Add chocolate and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined. Spoon into prepared steamer. Smooth over top. Place a piece of baking paper then foil over top. Place lid on steamer.
- Place basin in large stockpot with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of steamer. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to boil. Boil gently for about 3½ hours, or until cooked (insert skewer into the centre, it should come out clean). Replenish with boiling water as necessary to maintain water level.
- Carefully remove steamer from boiling water. Stand for 20 minutes before turning out.
- To make vanilla anglaise, combine cream, milk, bean and seeds in a medium saucepan. Heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat.
- Beat yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until thick and pale. With mixer beating on low speed, slowly pour in cream mixture until combined. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over a low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until custard coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a serving jug.
- Serve warm or cold pudding with warm vanilla anglaise. Top with Christmas decoration.
