The Deves Christmas Pudding - butter

Method

• First chop dates and mix all the fruits together, put them in a large bottle or Jar and pour in the rum untill at the brim.
• seal up tight and leave for a month.
• Put the boiler on the boil.
• Cream together the butter and sugar then mix in the eggs one at a time, then the jame and next the carb soda.
• In a seperate bowl: Sift together the flour with the spices and salt.
• Spoon the flour mix one spoonfull at a time into the butter mix.
• When all is combined add in the bread crumbs.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Now add the Fruit and mix untill it is all coated and appears smooth and glossy.
• SHould stay slightly peaked when you pull the spoon out.
• Time to put the mix into a cloth.
• Place the cloth in the boiling water to scald it for 5 minutes.
• Have a colander and tongs handy as you want to ensure that when you take the cloth out you layer it evenly into the colander.
• Sprinkle flour over the cloth in a thick coating: this makes the skin of the pudding when its cooked.
• Scrape the mixture into the cloth.
• When all the mixture is inside take the corners of the cloth and get someone to tie the string about 2cms away from the top of where the pudding forms.
• This allows for it to grow when you cook it.
• Cook the pudding for 4 hours in the boiler ensuring that the water is constantly topped up.
• Then hang the pudding untill you need it.
• It will reheat when you put it back on the boil for a further 2 hours.
• (you dont need to cure it for months on end, 4 days is the minimum hang time).
• To serve: Put the hot pudding in the colander and allow to drain.
• Cut the String and turn back the cloth.
• Put platter on the pudding, hold the colander and cloth as you turn the lot over.
• Pull the cloth back slowly.
• Serve with steaming hot vanilla custard.