Two of the most common questions I get asked about my Christmas pudding recipe (in my second book) are: how do I make multiple smaller Christmas puddings in a 1-pint tin? And how long do I steam them for? In case you didn’t know, the original recipe was for one big Christmas pudding, so here I give timings and instructions to make 3 smaller puddings instead.
From Gluten Free Christmas by Becky Excell (Quadrille, £22).
Photography: Hannah Rose Hughes.
Two of the most common questions I get asked about my Christmas pudding recipe (in my second book) are: how do I make multiple smaller Christmas puddings in a 1-pint tin? And how long do I steam them for? In case you didn’t know, the original recipe was for one big Christmas pudding, so here I give timings and instructions to make 3 smaller puddings instead.
From Gluten Free Christmas by Becky Excell (Quadrille, £22).
Photography: Hannah Rose Hughes.
1 small cooking apple (such as Bramley, peeled, cored and roughly chopped)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons brandy or sherry, plus an extra 4 tbsp to serve
75 grams butter (softened)
150 grams light muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
90 grams gluten-free plain flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 slices gluten-free bread (blitzed into breadcrumbs)
FOR THE BRANDY BUTTER
125 grams butter (softened)
200 grams icing sugar
4 tablespoons brandy
grated zest of ½ orange
5 ounces raisins
5 ounces currants
5 ounces candied mixed peel
1 small apple (such as Bramley, peeled, cored and roughly chopped)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons brandy or sherry, plus an extra 4 tbsp to serve
⅓ cup butter (softened)
¾ cup light muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
⅔ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 slices gluten-free bread (blitzed into breadcrumbs)
FOR THE BRANDY BUTTER
generous ½ cup butter (softened)
scant 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons brandy
grated zest of ½ orange
Method
Gluten Free Mini Christmas Puddings is a guest recipe by Becky Excell so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe
Place the raisins, currants, mixed peel and cooking apple in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice and brandy or sherry. Allow to stand for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight. The longer the better!
Grease three 500ml (1 pint) pudding basins and line the bases with circles of non-stick baking parchment. If your pudding basins don’t have a lid, create them by cutting three circles of foil and baking parchment that are roughly 3cm (1¼in) larger than the basin’s diameter. Place one foil circle and one paper circle on top of one another and create a pleat down the middle. Repeat twice more and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions. Add the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, nutmeg and breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. Lastly, stir through all of the soaked fruit, along with the soaking liquid, and mix once more.
Divide the mixture between the prepared pudding basins, ensuring that the mixture is flat and even on top by compacting it down. Secure the lids in place. If you made the lids from foil and baking parchment, use some string to secure them in place. If your pudding basins came with lids, I’d recommend wrapping each in foil after popping it on, just to be safe.
Place all three puddings in a large saucepan and add boiling water so that it comes just over a third of the way up the basins. Place the lid on the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 hours. Keep an eye on the water level, as you may need to top it up halfway through.
Once cooked, remove the pudding basins from the water, remove the lids and allow to cool completely in the basins. Once cool, cover and store in a cool, dry place until Christmas day.
On Christmas day, pop the lids on your pudding basins — if you made your own, you’ll need to create them again. Place in a large saucepan again and fill once again with boiling water, just over a third of the way up the pudding basins. Pop the lids on, bring to the boil and simmer for 1½ hours.
While they are steaming, whip up the brandy butter. I use a stand mixer for this, but an electric hand whisk will do the job just fine too. If making by hand, just ensure you mix for longer. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for about 5 minutes until a lot paler. Add the icing sugar and mix until completely incorporated, then add the brandy and orange zest and mix once more. Transfer the puddings to individual serving plates and keep the brandy butter refrigerated until you serve everything up.
To serve, warm up the extra 4 tablespoons of brandy in a small saucepan (don’t let it boil) and then pour a little over the hot Christmas puddings. Carefully set light to each and serve immediately with the brandy butter.
Place the raisins, currants, mixed peel and apple in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice and brandy or sherry. Allow to stand for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight. The longer the better!
Grease three 500ml (1 pint) pudding basins and line the bases with circles of non-stick baking parchment. If your pudding basins don’t have a lid, create them by cutting three circles of foil and baking parchment that are roughly 3cm (1¼in) larger than the basin’s diameter. Place one foil circle and one paper circle on top of one another and create a pleat down the middle. Repeat twice more and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions. Add the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, nutmeg and breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. Lastly, stir through all of the soaked fruit, along with the soaking liquid, and mix once more.
Divide the mixture between the prepared pudding basins, ensuring that the mixture is flat and even on top by compacting it down. Secure the lids in place. If you made the lids from foil and baking parchment, use some string to secure them in place. If your pudding basins came with lids, I’d recommend wrapping each in foil after popping it on, just to be safe.
Place all three puddings in a large saucepan and add boiling water so that it comes just over a third of the way up the basins. Place the lid on the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 hours. Keep an eye on the water level, as you may need to top it up halfway through.
Once cooked, remove the pudding basins from the water, remove the lids and allow to cool completely in the basins. Once cool, cover and store in a cool, dry place until Christmas day.
On Christmas day, pop the lids on your pudding basins — if you made your own, you’ll need to create them again. Place in a large saucepan again and fill once again with boiling water, just over a third of the way up the pudding basins. Pop the lids on, bring to the boil and simmer for 1½ hours.
While they are steaming, whip up the brandy butter. I use a stand mixer for this, but an electric hand whisk will do the job just fine too. If making by hand, just ensure you mix for longer. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for about 5 minutes until a lot paler. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until completely incorporated, then add the brandy and orange zest and mix once more. Transfer the puddings to individual serving plates and keep the brandy butter refrigerated until you serve everything up.
To serve, warm up the extra 4 tablespoons of brandy in a small saucepan (don’t let it boil) and then pour a little over the hot Christmas puddings. Carefully set light to each and serve immediately with the brandy butter.
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