My Homemade Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce

My Christmas Puddings

150g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

50g butter, softened

2 medium size eggs

75ml black treacle

110ml Irish stout

2 tablespoons brandy

75g Bramley cooking apple, peeled, cored & finely diced

25g chopped roasted hazelnuts

175g sultanas

411g jar luxury mincemeat

grated zest of 1 orange & 1 lemon

8 prep bowls or foil pudding basins, well buttered

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift the flour, baking powder & mixed spice into a large bowl. Add the butter & eggs.
2. Place the treacle in a measuring jug, add the stout & brandy. Pour into the flour mixture & mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
3. Add the apple, nuts, sultanas, mincemeat & grated orange & lemon zest. Mix together with a spoon, then divide the mixture equally between the 8 pudding basins.
4. Cover each basin with a small circle of buttered greaseproof paper, following with a square of foil, large enough to fold under the edges of the basins, using a 'pleating' motion to seal. Place the basins into a shallow roasting tin & pour 1cm of boiling water into the roasting tin.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, allow to cool in the basins for 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edge of the puddings & turn out on to a serving plate.
6. Delicious served hot or cold with brandy cream or a brandy sauce.
7. I heat leftovers in the microwave and they turn out just fine!