Christmas Pudding (Irish)

It's called a pudding, but it's really a kind of super-fruitcake cake, rich, moist, dense, and pretty much irresistible if you've got a sweet tooth. My Granny always said that Christmas pudding should be made at least a month before it was eaten, to give the flavours time to marry. She kept some of her puddings for as long as 2 years. While the English version usually has rum or brandy added, the Irish version adds brandy and Guinness, of course.

1 cup raisins (150 g)
1 cup sultanas (150 g)
2 cups brandy (475 mL)
¼ cup assorted candied fruit, such as cherries, melon or citrus peel, cut into short, thin strips (20 g)
5 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into ½" (1.25 cm) cubes
1¾ cups fine dry or day-old fresh breadcrumbs (100 g)
1 cup ground almonds (85 g)
¼ cup dark brown sugar (50 g)
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut, shredded
2 Tbsp. carrot, finely grated
½ tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
¼ tsp. orange zest, finely grated
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 egg
½ tsp. black treacle or molasses
⅓ cup Guinness stout (80 mL)
2 Tbsp. orange juice, freshly squeezed
¾ tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

To Serve:
whiskey butter or clotted cream

Soak the raisins and sultanas in the brandy for 1 hour. Drain, reserving ⅓ cup (80 mL) of the brandy for the recipe. (Save the rest for making egg nog or other holiday cocktails.)

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8). Grease two 2½ cup (600 mL) ovenproof glass or ceramic bowls.

Put the raisins, candied fruits, butter, breadcrumbs, ground almonds, brown sugar, flour, coconut, carrot, lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl and stir well to combine.

Combine egg, treacle, Guinness, orange juice, lemon juice, freshly squeezed, and the reserved brandy in a medium bowl and stir well to combine, then stir into the fruit mixture.

Divide the batter equally between the prepared bowls. Cover each bowl with 2 sheets of waxed paper and 2 sheets of aluminum foil, then tie them into place with kitchen twine.

Put the bowls into a deep, wide baking pan with a cover. Pour boiling water into the pan to reach 2" (5 cm) up the sides of bowls. Cover the pan and steam the puddings in the oven for 4½ hours, adding more water as needed to maintain the same level.

Remove the bowls from the pan and let cool to room temperature. Replace the waxed paper and foil with fresh sheets, securing them again with twine. Refrigerate or store in a cool, dark place for at least 24 hours or up to 2 years.

To serve, reheat the puddings by steaming them as described above for 1 hour, then unmold onto serving plates. Serve with whiskey butter or clotted cream, if you like.

Makes 2 puddings or 8-10 servings.