Traditional Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:
475g mixed fruit
100g glace cherries halved
50g mixed nuts, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
1 carrot, peeled & grated
200ml stout
175g light brown sugar
50g golden syrup
175g white breadcrumbs
175g self-raising flour
175g suet
1 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs
For the pudding:
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Mix the all the dry ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly.
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Add the stout, syrup and egg and stir to combine. (All our family takes a stir turning and makes a Christmas wish, the kids love it!)
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Grease a 1.5 litre pudding basin, placing a small circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the basin. Spoon the pudding mixture into the basin.
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Cover the basin top with a piece of greaseproof paper and foil, tied with a piece of string.
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Add an upturned saucer into the bottom of a large saucepan, place the basin on top of the saucer, then fill the saucepan with water about 2/3 of the way up the basin, bring the water to a boil, then simmer, steaming the pudding for 6-8 hours. Don’t forget to top of the water if it gets low.
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Alternatively cook you pudding in a slow cooker, sit the pudding basin in the slow cooker, add boiling water about 2/3 up the basin, then cook on low with the lid on for 10-12 hours.
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Allow your pudding to cool, I like to turn the pudding out, clean the basin then add the pudding back into the basin, then throughly wrap up the pudding, keep in a cool dry place until needed.
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On the big day, steam in the same method on the hob for 1-2 hours, or in the slow cooker on low for approx 4 hours, then turn out ad decorate (i like to use a sprig of holly), to light pour over some warmed up brandy. Serve with Brandy sauce, or a cream of you choice.