This rich and zesty Christmas pudding recipe is easy to make and brings this sweet tradition to your yuletide feast.

Created by one of De’Longhi Cooker’s italian food bloggers, it’s festive and fruity and easy to follow thanks to the Easy Steam function.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cooked apple
  • 350g of candied fruit (raisins, citron and cherries) and dried apricots
  • 100g of dried figs
  • 165 g dark muscovado brown sugar
  • 100 g of breadcrumbs
  • 40g of chopped almonds
  • 125g of butter + more for greasing the mould
  • 110g of Marsala (or rum or brandy) + a couple of spoons to pour on the dessert before serving
  • 90 g of 00 flour
  • 1/2 sachet of baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • zest and juice of one orange
  • 5g of ground cinnamon
  • 10g of powdered ginger
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 pinch of salt

 

Method

Pour all the candied fruit, dried apricots and figs into a bowl. You can leave the fruit whole but if you prefer you can cut it into small pieces. Pour in the Marsala and mix. Add the orange zest and juice.

Cover the container and leave to rest for at least 12 hours (even 24 hours). Once the resting time is over, add the quince grated with a grater with large holes.

Beat the eggs with the sugar, add the spices and finally, the butter grated using a grater with large holes.

Add the fruit to the mixture with the Marsala. Finally pour the sifted flour, the yeast and a pinch of salt. Mix everything well and pour into a previously buttered and floured 18cm pudding mould.

Using baking paper, make a circle slightly smaller than the mould, butter it and place it on top of the pudding. Cover with foil and secure it with kitchen string.

With the oven cold, pour 250ml of water into your grill pan which should sit at the bottom of your oven (this helps to steam the pudding keeping it moist). Place the pudding on the grill shelf in a central position and turn on the oven at 100° in Easy Steam mode if you have it. Do not top up the water during cooking.

Cook for 4 hours, then turn off the oven and leave it inside for another hour. Allow the pudding to cool completely before removing it from the mould.

Leave to rest in an airtight cake container for 2 days and once you’ve heated it up and before serving, pour a couple of spoons of Marsala over the surface.