Tropical christmas pudding

Ingredients (serves 8)
125g dried mango*

125g pitted soft prunes

125g dried apricots

125g sultanas

125g dried cranberries (Craisins)

1/4 cup (60ml) brandy

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

75g fresh white breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (75g) plain flour

2 tsp mixed spice

50g toasted macadamias, chopped

200g light muscovado* or brown sugar

100g unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

Fresh sliced mango, to serve

Brown sugar cream

300ml creme fraiche or sour cream

5 tbs brown sugar

Spun sugar

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

Method
1. Chop dried mango, prunes and apricots to size of a sultana, then place in a bowl with sultanas, cranberries, brandy and orange juice. Cover and leave to soak overnight.



2. Grease a 1.5-litre pudding basin and line the base with a circle of buttered baking paper.



3. Add remaining ingredients, except fresh mango, to fruit mixture and stir to combine well. Firmly pack into pudding basin. Fold a pleat into a piece of buttered baking paper (this will allow room for the pudding to expand) and use to cover basin. Top with a double layer of pleated foil, then tie tightly around edges of basin with string.



4. Place an upturned plate in base of a large saucepan. Sit basin on plate, then pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of basin. Cover and bring to boil, then simmer over low heat for 6 hours, topping up with water as needed. Remove pudding and cool.



5. Cover with new paper and foil, then refrigerate until needed.
To reheat, simmer pudding in basin using the same method for 1 hour 30 minutes.



6. For brown sugar cream, beat ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Chill until ready to serve.



7. For spun sugar, place a couple of sheets of newspaper on the floor next to the kitchen bench. Lightly oil the handle of a wooden spoon and place a wooden spoon on the edge of the counter, with the handle over the edge (above the paper) and the other end weighed down with a chopping board.



8. Place a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Gradually add sugar, adding more as it melt, stirring to get rid of lumps and prevent from burning. Cook 5-10 minutes until sugar is golden brown, then fill sink with cold water and place base of pan in the water to cool toffee slightly.



9. Hold two forks back to back in one hand. Dip forks in the toffee and run the toffee back and forth over the spoon handle, re-dipping until all toffee has been used. If toffee becomes hard, just warm slightly and continue. Remove toffee from spoon handle as you go and form into a crown shape with your hands (be careful as it's quite fragile).



10.Serve pudding with spun sugar crown, brown sugar cream and fresh mango.



Notes & tips
You can make the pudding up to 3 months in advance and store in the fridge. Begin at least the day before.

Sourcedelicious. - December 2005, Page 118
Recipe by Valli Little