English Christmas

Jane Lockhart of Sweet Lady Jane tells us how the English put on a good Christmas.

English Christmas Pudding

1/2 lb. dark molasses sugar

14 oz. fresh white breadcrumbs

1/2 lb. shredded beef suet

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mixed spice

3/4 lb. sultanas

3/4 lb. raisins

1/2 lb. currants

4 oz. chopped candied peel

2 oz. finely chopped blanched almonds

2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon

2 medium eggs, beaten

1/2 pint Guinness or milk stout

Mix together dry ingredients, dried fruit, candied peel and chopped almonds in large bowl. Add apples with lemon rind and juice, eggs and Guinness. Stir well, to a soft consistency.

Pour mixture into two greased 1 1/2 pint pudding basins. Cover tops of puddings with greaseproof paper, then with aluminium foil. Tie string around the rim. Leave overnight.

Place basins in a large pan of boiling water, and boil for 7 hours topping up water level from time to time during cooking.

Remove basins carefully from pan and leave until cold, then cover with fresh greaseproof paper, before storing.

Sweet Lady Jane, 8360 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90069, (323) 653-7145.