Fruit & nut Christmas pudding loaf

• dried mixed fruit400g g
• glacé cherry↗85g g
• Bramley apple↗1

  about 175g, grated, plus zest 1 orange and 1 lemon

• good apple juice↗150ml ml
• brandy↗2 tbsp tbsp
• Cointreau↗2 tbsp tbsp

  (or use more brandy)

• butter↗140g g

  plus extra for greasing

• dark muscovado sugar↗100g g
• large eggs↗2

  beaten

• self-raising flour↗85g g
• white breadcrumbs↗100g g
• golden syrup↗2 tbsp tbsp
• mixed spice2 tsp tsp
• ground cinnamon↗1 tsp tsp
• salt tsp
• toasted hazelnut25g

  pecan nuts and blanched almonds, roughly chopped

• butter↗50g
• dark muscovado sugar↗50g
• golden syrup↗1 tbsp
• brandy↗1 tbsp
• each toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds and glacé cherry25g

  left whole

• icing sugar↗

  for dusting (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the dried fruit, cherries, apple, zests, apple juice, brandy and Cointreau in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.

2. 2

   Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.

3. 3

   Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler, then stir in the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, syrup, spices, salt, soaked fruit and the nuts. Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scrunch the foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin’s edges. Sit it in the roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.

4. 4

   After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again.

5. 5

   To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium. For the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like.