No Cook Mini Christmas Pudding Food

MIX & MATCH MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Mix together all the base ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Grease 8 individual pudding basins or darioles with a little butter, then line the bases with circles of baking parchment.
• Stir your choice of dried fruits, spices and liquid, plus nuts if you are using, into the base mixture. If you're tailoring your puddings for each guest, then weigh out 225g/8oz base mixture per pud, before adding the extras (see brackets after ingredients for individual pud quantities).
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4 and boil the kettle. Fill each basin or dariole with pud mixture. Grease a large sheet of foil, then stick a large sheet of baking parchment on top. Cut it into 8 squares, large enough to cover the puds with overhang, and make a small pleat in each. Cover the puddings by scrunching foil round the edges to completely seal. stick a name label, written in biro, on top of each pud to help identify them when serving. sit the puds in a big roasting tin, pour hot water from the kettle into the tin until nearly halfway up the puds, then cook for 1 hr. Cool, then store in an airtight container somewhere cool and dark, for up to 2 weeks.
• To serve, turn oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 5 after the Christmas dinner has come out, and put the puds back into a roasting tin with hot water, as above. Cook for 40 mins, then turn off oven and leave them there if you're still eating. Carefully turn out onto serving plates, running a knife round the edge to help release, then dust with a little icing sugar and top with holly, if you like.

SLOW COOKER CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Tip the sultanas, raisins, currants and candied peel into the largest bowl you have. Add the apple, citrus zests, orange juice, brandy and stout. Stir everything together, cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight to soak.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl along with ½ tsp salt and mix well to combine - don't forget to make a wish! Set the slow cooker to low.
• Butter the pudding basin and line the base with a circle of baking parchment. Spoon in the pudding mixture, pressing it down well, then make a gap in the middle using the back of the spoon. Cover the surface with another circle of baking parchment, then stack a sheet of parchment over a sheet of foil, fold a pleat in the middle and use this to cover the basin. Secure at the rim with kitchen string and add a looped handle. Carefully lower the basin into the slow cooker, then fill with water so it comes halfway up the sides of the basin. Cook for 10 hrs, topping up with water as necessary. Once cooked, remove the basin from the slow cooker and leave to cool completely before storing in a cool, dark place for up to six months.
• On the day you're ready to serve, return the pudding to the slow cooker set to low, and fill with water as before. Reheat for 4 hrs, then turn out onto a serving plate. Warm some triple sec in a small pan over a low heat, drizzle this over the pudding and carefully set alight. Serve with brandy butter or custard.

MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Mash the Christmas pudding and brandy together.
• Divide mixture evenly into 10 pieces and roll into balls.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Mix together egg white and icing sugar until smooth, adding more icing sugar as necessary until consistecy is firm but still flowing.
• Cover top of each pudding with a small teaspoon of icing and sprinkle with silver balls.
• To serve, warm the puddings for 5 minutes in a medium oven.

MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDING TREATS

Steps:

• Crumble the fruitcake with your hands into a mixing bowl.
• Stir in the brandy and mix thoroughly. Add enough of the brandy (or substitute) so that the mixture will easily roll into walnut sized balls. Roll into balls using your hands.
• Place the rolled balls onto a lined baking tray.
• Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the balls to represent the custard. Use a teaspoon and let the chocolate run down the sides of the little puddings.
• Chop the snake lollies using scissors into small slices. Add two green and one red piece to the top of the puddings. Position the lolly pieces lose together, these become the holly atop of the puddings.
• Refrigerate until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.