I am proud to say that this is a very English recipe and dates back to medieval times, though you don’t want to know the original ingredients! My childhood memory is a silver sixpence inserted in the pie and lots of burning rum on top! Suffice to say that spelt makes it a very special pudding.
SERVES: 4
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours standing, then cooling and storing COOKING TIME: 8 hours
150g/5½oz/scant 1¼ cups raisins
150g/5½oz/scant 1¼ cups sultanas
100g/3½oz/heaped ¾ cup currants
55g/2oz/heaped ⅓ cup pitted dates or prunes, chopped
55g/2oz/⅓ cup chopped mixed peel
30g/1oz/2 tbsp blanched almonds
100g/3½oz/heaped ¾ cup wholegrain spelt flour
55g/2oz/¼ cup caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75g/2½oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp orange juice (or fruit juice of choice)
brandy butter and cream, to serve
Put all the ingredients up to and including the cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, eggs and juice and mix well. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Grease the sides of a 1 litre/35fl oz/4 cup pudding basin and cut two circles of baking paper to fit the diameter of the top of the basin.
Give the pudding mixture another stir, then scoop it into the prepared basin. Cover the top of the pudding with the baking paper circles, then spread kitchen foil over the top of the pudding basin, tucking it in really well around the outer rim of the basin.
Place the pudding basin in a large saucepan, then fill the pan with water until the water reaches halfway up the basin. Put the lid on the saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary.
Carefully remove the pudding and cool it on a wire rack. Be sure to leave the foil and baking paper on as the pudding cools. Store the pudding in a cool, dark place until required.
When you’re ready to eat the pudding, remove and refresh the greaseproof and foil layers. Put the basin in a saucepan again and fill the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the basin. Cover, bring to the boil, then boil, as before, for a further 3 hours. Invert the pudding onto a warm serving plate and serve warm, with brandy butter, cream or other accompaniment of your choice. Flambéing the pudding with brandy when serving is traditional, some would say mandatory!