Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is a traditional moist steamed pudding served  on the occasion of Christmas.  This pudding is served on the end of Christmas dinner. Normally brandy, vine or rum is used to soak the dry fruits and also for flaming the pudding. Here is the simple recipe of delicious non-alcoholic  Plum/Christmas pudding.

Ingredients:

1. Dry Fig chopped- 1/4 cup
2. Dry dates chopped- 1/4 cup
3. Dry cherry chopped- 1/4 cup
4. Dry black raisins + prunes- 1/4 cup
5. Chopped almond + cashew- 1/4 cup
6. Chopped walnut-2 tbsp
7. Fresh orange juice- 3/4 cup
8. Brown sugar- 3/4 cup
9. Butter-75 gm (room temperature
10. Bread crumbs-75 gm
11. Plain flour-50 gm
12. Eggs-2 large
13. Cinnamon powder- 1/4 tsp
14. Mixed spice powder- 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

• Soak the dry fruits (fig, date, prune, cherry and raisins) in orange juice and let it rest for overnight in fridge.
• After that mix it with all other ingredients (butter, brown sugar, nuts, spice powder, cinnamon powder, lightly beaten eggs and flour).
• Let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Grease a pudding tray with butter and sprinkle little flour also.
• Spoon up the pudding mixture in to it by pressing well (without any gap).
• Now cover the pan with aluminium foil and tie up with a thred.
• In a steaming pan add enough water (up to 1/4 th level of pudding pan) and boil; 
• Cover the lid tightly after placing the covered pudding.
• Cook on simmer flame for about 5-6 hours (add little water in to the pan after every hour; if necessary (don't allow to dry up the pan)).
• Open it only after completely cools down.
• Invert the pudding in to a serving dish and garnish on top as per your choice (i used white chocolate ganache and colored cherries).

Note:
You can cook it up to 8 hours for a nice dark colored plum pudding.
You can store the pudding in a cool place up to one month.