Ingredients
- 1kg mixed fruit
- 230g dates (chopped)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tsp bi-carb soda
- 230g raisins
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp salt
- 250g butter
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice ¼ cup rum (generous)
- Slivered almonds
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups of self-raising flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Before you start
Boil 90×90 cm2 unbleachable calico cloth in a saucepan for 30 minutes Let cool to handling point and wring out. Smooth ½ a cup of plain flour over the cloth.
Method
Mix fruit and almonds with rum and leave overnight in the fridge. Add sugar, water, butter, bi-carb soda and fruit to saucepan. Heat over gentle to moderate flame until butter is melted. Mix in both flour (sifted) and lightly beaten eggs. Add mixture to the cloth. Tie very tightly with string, leaving a loop to hang pudding by. Boil for six hours. Check water level frequently. Hang in an airy place. Tie extra cloth and string up with rubber bands so that the extra cloth and string don’t rest on the sides of the pudding. Boil on the day for two hours. Leave in calico to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
