My family's favourite Christmas pudding

It's light, super-fruity and doesn't need to be made that far ahead (just as well!)

If you haven’t got round to making - or even buying - your Christmas pudding (join the club!) it’s not too late. Here’s the recipe (uncooked version above) I’ve made over the years. It’s lighter than the normal Christmas pudding and doesn’t have to be made months in advance (just as well!). You just need to let the fruit soak overnight, steam it and reheat it on the day. 

I’m sure you could make it much more quickly in a pressure cooker though I rather resist the idea. And because of the size I’d steam it rather than microwave it to reheat it

Makes 1 large pudding - enough for 8-10

110g/4 oz plain flour

175g/6 oz fresh white breadcrumbs

225g/8oz suet

225g/8oz demerara sugar

110g/4 oz currants

110g 4 oz sultanas

225g/8 oz large seeded raisins

75g/3 oz candied peel or dried apricots, chopped small

1 large cooking apple (about 225g/8oz), peeled and chopped small

110g/4 oz marmalade

Grated rind and juice of half a lemon

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/2 tsp mixed spice

3 medium eggs

50ml whisky or calvados

You will also need a large 1.5 litre pudding bowl, some greaseproof paper or baking parchment, a large roll of foil and some string.

Measure the flour, breadcrumbs, suet, sugar, dried fruit, mixed peel and chopped apple into a large bowl and mix together. Beat the eggs and mix with the marmalade, lemon rind and juice and add to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Leave up to 24 hours (overnight is fine). Add the whisky, mix thoroughly and spoon into a lightly greased pudding basin. Press down lightly leaving at least 2.5cm/1 inch headspace.

Cover with greaseproof paper, pleated in the middle to allow the pudding to rise and secure with string then cover and secure with a similarly pleated layer of foil. (It helps to make a string handle to lift the pudding out of the steamer or saucepan as and when you need to top the water up.

Steam for 10 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary. Cool then rewrap with a fresh layer of greaseproof paper and foil. Resteam for 2 hours before serving. I like this with double cream rather than brandy butter though you could spike it with a little whisky or calvados.