• 750g raisins, chopped
• 500g sultanas
• 250g currants
• 125g mixed peel
• 2-3 glace fruits, chopped (you could use apricots, figs, whatever you like)
• 2 tblsp crystalised ginger
• 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 3 tblsp spirit of choice (rum or brandy)
• 250g organic, grass fed butter
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 Rind of a orange
• 1 Rind of a lemon
• 1 cooking apple - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 tsp ground cloves
• 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/3 tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 cups soft breadcrumbs

The day before you begin, prepare the fruits by soaking them in whatever spirit you are using. Remember you can vary the fruits, and the amounts, the more fruit you put in, the richer the pudding will be, and the bigger the yield.

1. Grease a 10 - cup pudding basin with butter, and line the bottom with buttered greaseproof paper. Cut a disc of the same greaseproof paper for the top of the basin.
2.  In a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar with orange and lemon rind, and grated apple.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly between additions.
4. In a large bowl, sift flour, allspice, cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg.
5. Add the breadcrumbs to the dry ingredient’s mixture.
6. Alternate between adding the dry ingredient’s mixture and the prepared fruits and grated carrot into the butter mixture, ensuring to mix well as you go.
7. Spoon mixture into the prepared pudding basin and top with previously prepared disc of greaseproof paper.
8. If your pudding basin has a lid, secure it over the mixture, or if it doesn’t have a lid, cover with alfoil.
9. Steam the pudding in a large saucepan of boiling water, covered, for 5-6 hours checking at regular intervals that there is enough water in the pan to come up to halfway up the pudding basin.
10. Remove from the pan, and store in the fridge until Christmas Day, re-steaming 2 hours before serving.