Mini Christmas puddings with a marmalade glaze

Recipe Serves: Serves 6

Ingredients

150g mixed dried fruit (can include sultanas, currants, raisins, mixed peel etc)

90g light brown sugar

100ml hot earl grey tea (brewed until strong using 1 teabag or 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea, teabag removed or strained if loose leaf)

25ml whiskey

100g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon mixed spice

50g melted butter, plus a little extra to butter the pudding basins

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

100g cooking or dessert apple peeled, cored and grated

1 lemon, zest only

200g luxury mincemeat

150g Mrs Bridges Fine Cut Orange Marmalade (100g for the pudding batter and 50 to glaze)

300ml double cream (softly whipped) or crème fraiche to serve

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Follow The Recipe

1 hour soaking time, 25 minutes preparation, plus 50 minutes cooking

First soak the fruit. Put the dried mixed fruit and light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot tea and stir in the whiskey. Leave for at least an hour to soak but you can leave this overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180° conventional (160°C fan or gas mark 4). Generously butter 6 small oven-proof pudding basins or dariole moulds. The basins or moulds should be about 175-200ml in volume.

Weigh the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and beaten eggs and stir well to combine. Add the grated apple, lemon zest and the soaked fruit (with the liquid) and gently mix again. Finally stir in the mincemeat and 100g of Mrs Bridges Fine Cut Marmalade.

Divide the mixture between the six pudding basins. Cut out 6 small circles of baking parchment, the same size as the top of the pudding basins. Lightly butter the parchment circles and put them on top of the puddings. Cut out six squares of foil that are big enough to cover the top of the puddings (about 20cm (8 inches) square). Cover the puddings with the foil folding it tightly against/under the rim of the pudding basin so it is well-sealed.

Put the puddings into a deep baking tray and pour boiling water from the kettle into the bottom of the baking tray to a depth of 3cm (1 inch). Carefully put into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the puddings are firm to the touch and slightly springy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan warm 50g Mrs Bridges Fine Cut Marmalade over a medium-low heat until slightly runny. Turn the puddings out onto individual plates, use a small, sharp knife around the edge of the pudding basin to release them if needed. Top with a generous teaspoon of marmalade and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or crème fraiche.

These can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for three days. To reheat just make sure the foil topping is still in place and put in an oven preheated to 180° conventional (160°C fan, gas mark 4) for 20 minutes. Alternatively turn out of the mould and reheat in the microwave for 60 seconds or until hot. These puddings also freeze beautifully. Wrap well to freeze, defrost and then reheat as above.

Cook’s tip: This works well with other marmalades in the Mrs Bridges range.

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