Marcus Wareing's Mini Christmas Puddings with Chantilly Cream

Ingredients

• For the Fruits:
• 75 g sultanas
• 100 g raisins
• 85 g dried cherries
• 50 ml brandy
• 50 ml amaretto
• For the Pudding Mixture:
• 65 g mixed citrus peel
• 50 g chopped mixed nuts
• 1 x small grated apple
• Zest of half a lemon
• Zest of half an orange
• 45 g ground almonds
• 80 g suet
• 95 g breadcrumbs
• 70 g dark brown sugar
• 30 g plain white flour
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 x large egg
• 50 g black treacle
• 150 ml guinness
• For the Boozy Cream:
• 400 ml double cream
• 40 g icing sugar
• 4 tbsp brandy
• To Serve:
• Brandy, to flambe
• Redcurrants
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the sultanas, raisins and dried cherries into a medium bowl and pour over the brandy and amaretto. Allow to soak for a few hours or overnight to absorb the alcohol.

2. 2

   Pre-heat the oven to 140C fan. Grease 6 x non-stick dariole moulds with butter.

3. 3

   Place the dried fruits in a large mixing bowl and combine together with all the other pudding ingredients. Stir very well to evenly mix together.

4. 4

   Spoon the mixture evenly into 6 x individual greased dariole moulds and place in a deep roasting tin. Cover the tops with a little circle of baking parchment.

5. 5

   Pour in hot water from the kettle to the roasting tin, to come up half way to the pudding moulds to make a bain marie. Cover the whole roasting tin with foil tightly and bake in the pre-heated oven for 2 hours.

6. 6

   To make the brandy cream, whisk the double cream, icing sugar, and brandy in a large bowl until soft peaks.

7. 7

   7. Remove the puddings from the oven and carefully turn out onto a serving platter. Garnish with redcurrants and dust with icing sugar. Heat some brandy in a small pan and carefully light with a match – pour over the puddings to flambe and serve with the brandy cream alongside.

8. 8

   Chef's Note:: These can be made 6 weeks in advance, feed them weekly with a small amount of alcohol then reheat in the oven (in a bain Marie) for 1 hour.