‘Delicious’ Christmas pudding recipe is a last-minute staple that’s ready in an hour

Christmas pudding, known to some as ‘figgy pudding’, is a , often reserved for the festive period.

There are no rules about eating the rich, at any time of the year, though it’s harder to get hold of in supermarkets beyond December.

According to Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith, making the delectable boozy ‘pud’ from scratch is very easy. The and baking extraordinaire shared her special for those needing a quick and easy dessert they can whip up on short notice.

“That sinking feeling… when you realise you forgot the pudding! This last-minute crowd-pleaser (with boozy custard) could just save your Christmas”, said Prue.

She suggested that it be eaten on the day, but it’s also a that can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated in the microwave.

Quick Christmas pudding recipe

Ingredients

For the fruit

150g raisins

150g sultanas

150g currants

100g dried cranberries

50g mixed peel

One large unwaxed orange, juice and zest

100ml brandy

75g molasses

One tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the pudding

One Bramley apple, peeled and grated (150g grated weight)

140g frozen unsalted butter, grated

175g dark muscovado sugar

175g fresh white breadcrumbs

140g self-raising flour

One tsp cinnamon

One tsp mixed spice

Two large eggs, beaten

One candied clementine

For the boozy crème anglaise

250ml whole milk

250ml double cream

Six large egg yolks

65g caster sugar

Two tbsp orange liqueur

Cooking equipment:

1.5-litre microwave-safe pudding bowl, greased with unsalted butter, then base-lined with a disc of baking paper

Disc of baking paper cut to the same circumference as the top of the pudding bowl

Method

Preparing the fruit is the first step to this speedy . Prue suggests adding the measured raisins, sultanas, currants, cranberries, mixed peel, orange juice and zest to a microwave-safe bowl for easy mixing.

Next, pour the brandy and molasses into the bowl and stir everything together. Cover the bowl with cling film, then pierce a few holes in the top.

To speed up the fruit-plumping stage, microwave the fruit bowl on full powder for five minutes. Carefully remove from the microwave and peel off the cling film. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda before leaving the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.

Combine the grated apple, butter, sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, cinnamon, and mixed spice in a large bowl for the pudding mixture. Add the soaked fruit, the soaking liquid, and the eggs and stir them together.

Take the bowl your pudding will be cooked in and fill it with half of the pudding mixture. Then, place the candied clementine in the centre. Add the remaining mixture to cover the clementine and level the surface. Finally, place the cut disc of baking paper over the mixture.

Now it’s time to cook the pudding. Cover the bowl with cling film and microwave on low power (about 30 percent of full wattage) for 20 minutes, then microwave on medium (50 percent power) for 15 minutes until risen. The pudding should come away a little from the edge of the bowl as it cooks.

Remove the pudding from the microwave and leave it to stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly. At this point, you can start on the crème anglaise.

To do this, heat the milk and cream in a pan over medium heat to just below boiling point. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.

Slowly add the egg mixture to the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Once combined, pour the mixture into a heavy-based pan and cook over a very low heat, stirring continuously, for three to four minutes.

Do this until the custard is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove it from the heat and stir in the orange liqueur.

Turn out the freshly cooked pudding onto a serving plate and dish-up with the crème anglaise in a jug for easy serving.