Spiced Fig Pudding with Cumberland Rum Butter

This is a wonderful warm and spicy version of Christmas pudding, made with dried figs and dates. It's not as rich and dark in colour as traditional Christmas pudding but it tastes every bit as delicious.

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  Serves 6

Ingredients
½ teaspoon mixed spice
6 oz (175 g) dried figs, chopped
2 oz (50 g) self-raising flour
6 oz (175 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
4 oz (110 g) shredded beef or vegetable suet
8 oz (225 g) dates, stoned and chopped
3 oz (75 g) raisins
2 oz (50 g) preserved ginger, chopped
generous quantity of freshly grated nutmeg
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons brandy
Cumberland Rum Butter

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Equipment
You will also need a generously buttered 1½ pint (850 ml) pudding basin and a steamer.

Method

Place the measured flour, breadcrumbs and suet in a mixing bowl. Add the figs, dates, raisins and ginger, spices and the orange zest and mix together very thoroughly.

Next beat the eggs with the brandy and orange juice and add this to the mixture, stirring well to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, then pack the mixture into the basin. Cover with a double piece of buttered foil, pleated in the middle, and tie it under the rim of the basin with string. It's also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle. Now place a saucepan over the heat and add boiling water from the kettle. When it comes back to the boil, put the pudding in the steamer and fit it over the saucepan. Pop a lid on and steam the pudding for 4 hours, keeping the water at a steady simmer and topping it up when needed with boiling water from the kettle.

After 4 hours, take the pudding out of the steamer, carefully remove the buttered foil and let it stand for 5 minutes. Now slide a palette knife all round it and turn the pudding out on to a serving plate. This is delicious served with some ice-cold Cumberland Rum Butter

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