Name: Fruit & nut Christmas pudding loaf
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 400g dried mixed fruit; 85g glacé cherry; 1 Bramley apple about 175g, grated, plus zest 1 orange and 1 lemon; 150ml good apple juice; 2 tbsp brandy; 2 tbsp Cointreau (or use more brandy); 140g butter plus extra for greasing; 100g dark muscovado sugar; 2 large eggs beaten; 85g self-raising flour; 100g white breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp golden syrup; 2 tsp mixed spice; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp salt; 25g toasted hazelnut pecan nuts and blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 50g butter; 50g dark muscovado sugar; 1 tbsp golden syrup; 1 tbsp brandy; 25g each toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds and glacé cherry left whole; icing sugar for dusting (optional)

400g dried mixed fruit
85g glacé cherry
1 Bramley apple
about 175g, grated, plus zest 1 orange and 1 lemon
150ml good apple juice
2 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp Cointreau
(or use more brandy)
140g butter
plus extra for greasing
100g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
beaten
85g self-raising flour
100g white breadcrumbs
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
25g toasted hazelnut
pecan nuts and blanched almonds, roughly chopped

For the topping

50g butter
50g dark muscovado sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp brandy
25g each toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds and glacé cherry
left whole
icing sugar
for dusting (optional)

Method

step 1
Put the dried fruit, cherries, apple, zests, apple juice, brandy and Cointreau in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.
step 2
Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.
step 3
Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler, then stir in the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, syrup, spices, salt, soaked fruit and the nuts. Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scrunch the foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin’s edges. Sit it in the roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.
step 4
After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again.
step 5
To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium. For the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like.