Christmas (Figgy) Pudding Recipe

Pudding 

• 50g blanched almonds
• 2 large Bramley cooking apples
• 200g box candied peel (in large pieces) or all citron if you can find it
• 1 whole nutmeg (you'll use three-quarters of it)
• 1kg raisins
• 140g plain flour
• 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100g light muscovado sugar, crumbled if it looks lumpy
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy or cognac, plus extra to light the pudding
• 250g packet butter, taken straight from the fridge

Brandy and ginger butter 

• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• grated zest of half an orange
• 5 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp brandy or cognac
• 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped

Instructions
Wash your hands with warm water.

1. Have all of the ingredients for the pudding prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely and then peel, core, and chop the apples. Chop the candied peel with a sharpened knife and then grate 3 quarters of the nutmeg.
2. Mix the nutmeg, raisins, flour, apples, candied peel, almonds, eggs, the light muscovado sugar, breadcrumbs, and the 2 tsp of brandy/cognac into a large bowl.
3. Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir all together. Repeat this until all of the butter is grated. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Lightly butter two 1.2 liter bowls and put a circle of baking parchment paper in the bottom of the bowls. Pack in the pudding mixture and then cover it with a double layer of the baking parchment paper, pleat it for expansion. Then tie it with a string and then trim off the excess paper.
5. Stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over top. Bring it down underneath to make a double package. Tie it with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan. 
6. Boil or oven steam the pudding for 8 hours, topping it with water if necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment paper. Foil and string it. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas day. 
7. To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively, and put in the fridge to set. 
8. On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-christmas-pudding