Chocolate and clementine Christmas pudding

• mixed fruit85g 85g
• dried cranberry↗85g 85g
• zest and juice 2 clementines
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• softened butter100g 100g

  plus extra for greasing

• dark muscovado sugar↗100g 100g
• self-raising flour↗50g 50g
• cocoa powder↗1 tbsp 1 tbsp
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• eggs↗2 2

  beaten

• eating apple1 1

  peeled, cored and grated

• fresh white breadcrumbs↗50g 50g
• glacé cherry↗50g 50g

  roughly chopped

• dark chocolate↗85g 85g

  chips

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Soak the mixed fruit, cranberries and zests in the clementine and lemon juices for 3 days, stirring daily, keeping the bowl covered with a tea towel.

2. 2

   Butter a 1-litre pudding basin and line the bottom with a greaseproof paper circle. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and spice, then stir in before adding the eggs. Stir in the apple, soaked fruits and liquid. Add the breadcrumbs, cherries, and chocolate chips, mixing thoroughly.

3. 3

   Fill the basin with the mixture, then cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper, pleated in the middle. Cover this with a layer of foil, pleated in the middle, then tie tightly with string.

4. 4

   Place the pudding in a large saucepan on a trivet or upturned saucer so it doesn’t touch the bottom, then fill halfway up the basin with hot water. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, then cook for 2 hrs.