Rum and raisin spotted dick

Method

1. Put the currants and raisins in a bowl, pour over the rum and leave to soak for an hour. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice and sugar into another bowl, then stir in the vanilla seeds, lemon zest and suet. When the dried fruit has finished soaking, add it to the flour mixture along any rum left in the bowl. Crack in the eggs, pour in the milk, beat with a wooden spoon until combined, then grease the pudding bowl with butter and pour the mixture into it.
2. Lay out a sheet of baking paper with a sheet of foil the same size on top. Fold both in half, then take the top half and fold all but around 3cm of it back to leave a small pleat. Cover the bowl with the paper, ensuring the foil is on top and the pleat runs down the centre (the pleat will let the pudding expand if it needs to). Shape the foil tightly round the edge of the bowl to seal, then secure it in place with a loop of kitchen string. Tie another loop of string to either side of the basin to create a handle, then trim off any excess paper or foil with scissors.
3. Put an upturned heatproof saucer in the bottom of a large lidded saucepan to create a trivet. Put the pudding bowl on top of the saucer, then carefully fill the pan with just-boiled water from the kettle until it reaches halfway up the bowl. Cover the pan, set over a low-medium heat and steam for 1 hour 15 minutes
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4. Once the pudding has cooked, make a quick rum syrup by heating the ingredients in a pan for a few minutes. Upturn the pudding bowl onto a plate (loosening it first with a palette knife if needed), then cover in the hot rum syrup. Serve with scoops of ice cream.