Mini Christmas Puds December 2, 2011

These are made in less than an hour and freeze well.

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz (60g) self raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 medium egg

1 0z (25g) butter, softened

1 1/2 fl oz (40ml) black treacle

2 fl oz (55 ml) Irish stout

1 Tbs dark rum

1 1/2 oz (40g) cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 oz (10g) chopped roasted hazlenuts

3 oz (75g) currants

1/2 a jar mincemeat (jar size 411g)

zest of 1/2 orange

zest of 1/2 lemon

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

Method

First sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a medium bowl, then add the egg and softened butter. After that, measure the treacle into a measuring jug, add the stout and rum and mix these together.
Next, pour this mixture into the bowl and, using an electric whisk, whisk everything together. Now add the apple, nuts, currants, mincemeat and, finally, the grated orange and lemon zests. Then mix everything together very thoroughly, and divide the mixture among the 4 buttered pudding basins. Top each with a small circle of buttered baking parchment, followed by a piece of foil large enough to fold under the edges of the basins, making a pleat all the way round to seal.

Place the basins in the tin and place the tin in the oven. Next pour in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water from the kettle and leave to cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the puddings are springy and firm to the touch in the centre. Then remove them from the oven and let them stand for 10 minutes before carefully turning them out.

If freezing the cooked and cooled puddings, defrost thoroughly, then place in a loose parcel of foil with a couple of tablespoons of brandy sprinkled over. Re-heat on a baking tray in an oven pre-heated to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) for 25 minutes.

You will also need 4, 6 fl oz (175ml) mini non stick pudding basins, buttered, a shallow roasting tin, baking parchment and foil.

If you don’t have the mini pudding basins you could use a silicone cupcake pan, as I did  😉

A couple of the Puds decorated.