Cointreau Christmas Pudding

It isn't christmas without a christmas pudding. This version swaps the brandy for cointreau to give it a delicious orange taste. It is perfect served with cream, custard or the classic brandy sauce.

Recipe (Serves 8):

• 50g white breadcrumbs
• 30g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 50g light muscovado sugar
• 50g suet
• 15g chopped walnuts
• 15g chopped almonds
• 50g currants
• 50g raisins
• 50g sultanas
• 40ml cointreau
• Zest and juice 1 orange
• 1 egg, beaten

Mix the dry ingredients together with the fruit and sugar. Add the cointreau, orange zest and juice then the egg. Mix together to combine. 

Divide between four individual pudding moulds. Take a piece of greaseproof paper and a piece of foil for each pudding. Place the foil on the paper and fold a pleat in them. Top the moulds and secure with string or an elastic band. Leave overnight.

Steam for 3 hours to cooked through. Remove and leave to cool, then reheat before serving by steaming for 1 hour or heating in the microwave.