Name: Festive date & pecan pudding
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250g block dried, stoned date chopped; 125g butter at room temperature; 85g light muscovado sugar; 140g self-raising flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp ground mixed spice; 2 large eggs; 50g raisin; 50g chopped candied peel; 85g pecan chopped; 2 pieces stem ginger cut into thin shreds; 85g light muscovado sugar; 150ml brandy; 25g toasted pecan chopped; 1 holly sprig; icing sugar for dusting

250g block dried, stoned date
chopped
125g butter
at room temperature
85g light muscovado sugar
140g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground mixed spice
2 large eggs
50g raisin
50g chopped candied peel
85g pecan
chopped
2 pieces stem ginger
cut into thin shreds

For the brandy syrup

85g light muscovado sugar
150ml brandy

To serve

25g toasted pecan
chopped
1 holly
sprig
icing sugar
for dusting

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour 300ml boiling water over the chopped dates and set aside. Butter a 1.4-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Put the butter, sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and eggs into a large bowl, then beat with an electric hand whisk until really well blended. Add the cooled date mixture, then beat again to make a sloppy batter.
step 2
Stir in the fruits, nuts and ginger, then pour into the pudding basin and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 1 hr, cover the top lightly with foil, then return to the oven for 25 mins more until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
step 3
Meanwhile, make the brandy syrup. Put the sugar and 50ml water in a pan and stir over the heat until syrupy. Stir in the brandy and remove from the heat. When the pudding is ready, remove from the oven and push a skewer into it in several places. Pour over the brandy syrup so it soaks into the pudding, then cover until ready to serve.
step 4
Turn out onto a plate, scatter with the pecans and top with the holly sprig, dusted with icing sugar. Serve with good-quality vanilla ice cream.