Boiled Christmas Pudding - raisins

Method

• Combine the fruit, peel, lemon juice and brandy in a large bowl. Cover. Store in a cool dark place overnight or up to 1 week, stirring every day.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir the butter mixture into the fruit mixture. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and breadcrumbs.
• Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full of hot water. Cover and bring to a boil. Have ready 8 feet of kitchen string and additional 1/2 cup flour. Wearing thick rubber gloves, dip the pudding cloth in the boiling water and boil for 1 min, then remove and carefully squeeze the excess water from the cloth. Working quickly, spread the hot cloth on the workbench and rub the flour into the center of the cloth to cover an area about 16 inches in diameter, leaving the flour a little thicker in the center of the cloth where the "skin" on the pudding needs to be thickest.
• Place the pudding mixture in the center of the cloth. Gather the cloth evenly around the mixture, avoiding any deep pleats and pat into a round shape. Tie the cloth tightly with string, as close to the mixture as possible. Pull the ends of the cloth tightly to ensure pudding is as round and firm as possible. Knot two pairs of corners together to make the pudding easier to remove.
• Lower the pudding into boiling water and tie the free ends of string to the handles of the saucepan to suspend the pudding. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and boil for 6 hours, replenishing the water as necessary to maintain the level.
• Untie the pudding from the handles and place a wooden spoon through the knotted cloth loops to lift the pudding from the water. Do not put the pudding on the workbench; suspend from the spoon by placing over the rungs of an upturned stool or by wedging the handle in a drawer. The pudding must be suspended freely. Twist the ends of the cloth around the string to avoid them touching pudding. If pudding has been cooked correctly, the cloth will dry in patches within a few minutes. Leave it to hang for 10 mins.
• Place the pudding on the board and cut the string, then carefully peel back the cloth. Turn the pudding onto a plate, then carefully peel the cloth away completely. Leave to cool. Let stand for at least 20 mins or until the skin darkens and the pudding becomes firm.