Do I Need To Add Extra Sugar To The Ultimate Christmas Pudding If I Use Brandy?

Our answer

Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a traditional steamed rich fruit pudding. The dried fruits are soaked in alcohol before they are mixed into the pudding as this makes them plump and juicy.

Nigella uses Pedro Ximenez sherry as it is rich and sticky, with flavours of liquorice and fig. However, you can use alternatives, such as rum, brandy or whisky, if that is what you have at home. It is not necessary to add any extra sugar to the pudding if you use an alternative as the dried fruits are already very sweet themselves and the alcohol evaporates during cooking, leaving just a hint of flavour rather than anything too assertive.