JOAN SUTHERLAND’S

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

This recipe was handed down to me by my mother. It makes a delicious, rich, old-fashioned
Christmas Pudding and I’ve been making these every year for years. I hope you enjoy it too.
Joan Sutherland

Ingredients
500g currants
500g sultanas
250g raisins
250g citron peel
125g almonds
500g butter
500g brown sugar
9 eggs
2/3 cup brandy
250g breadcrumbs
250g plain flour
pinch salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp mixed spice

Method
Clean and prepare the fruit, cut fine the citron peel. Blanch and chop the almonds.
Have a large boiler of water ready.
Cream the butter and sugar, add well-beaten eggs and brandy.
Stir in all the fruit.
Add breadcrumbs, sifted flour, salt, soda, grated nutmeg and spice.
Mix all well together.
Tie up in a very strong pudding cloth, allowing room for it to swell.
Place in boiling water and cook for six hours. Cook a further three hours on the day it is
to be eaten.
Serve with brandy or wine sauce, custard and/or clotted cream.
Note: This mixture may be steamed in one large or two medium basins. Allow 4cm at the
top of the basin for swelling. Steam large pudding six hours first day and three hours on
day to be eaten; half-size puddings, four hours first day, one-and-a-half hours on day of
eating.