Old-fashioned Christmas pudding

Method

1. Grease 2 x 800ml pudding bowls with butter. Cut 2 squares each of foil and baking paper, large enough to fit over the bowls with some overhang. Put a foil square over each piece of baking paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, then spoon the mixture into the pudding bowls. Place the foil squares, paper-side down, over the bowls, then scrunch around the rims and secure with string. Trim the excess paper so there’s about 1cm overhang under the string.
3. If you have 2 collapsible steamers, fit them into 2 deep pans (otherwise, steam each pudding in turn). Rest the pudding bowls on top, then pour in boiling water to halfway up each basin, ensuring it won’t reach the string when it bubbles. Put tightly fitting lids onto each pan, then bring to a gentle simmer and steam for 5-5½ hours until a skewer pushed into the puddings comes out clean. Remove the bowls from the pans, cool, then store in a cool, dry place.
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4. On the day you want to serve, steam as in step 3 for 1-2 hours more – this second steaming intensifies the flavours. Once done, the pudding can sit in the water, off the heat but with the lid on, for a couple of hours, while you get on with making Christmas lunch. Warm some brandy in a pan, then pour over the puddings and set alight to serve.