Jellied Christmas Pudding

Kookaburra's Note:

Christmas in Australia is just too hot for a heavy, traditional Christmas pudding. If you're having Christmas in a hot climate, try this! It's been our Christmas favourite for about 20 years. It provides all the wonderful fruity, groggy taste of a traditional Christmas pudding but it's light and easy to digest. What's more, you don't have to boil it and you can make it up to a week in advance. Preparation time does not include refrigeration time.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 225 g raisins, chopped finely
• 450 g sultanas, chopped finely
• 110 g currants
• 50 g mixed peel
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 50 g glace apricot, chopped finely
• 50 g glace cherries, chopped finely
• 25 g glace cherries, extra,for decoration
• 1 1/3 cups water, extra
• 3 1/2 tablespoons gelatin
• 50 g slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 cup sweet sherry
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine chopped raisins, sultanas, currants and mixed peel in a colander or large sieve.
2. Wash thoroughly under cold running water and drain well.
3. Repeat process until the water draining off the fruits is completely clean- this ensures a crystal clear jelly.
4. Place combined washed fruit, sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Increase heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
6. Place a sieve over a mixing bowl and empty contents of the saucepan into the sieve.
7. Reserve the liquid and place the fruit into another, large, mixing bowl.
8. Now, line the sieve with 2 layers of muslin or any clean, thin material which will allow liquid to drain through- we use a clean, unused'Chux' towel.
9. Place the sieve over the bowl with the fruit in it and pour the reserved liquid through the sieve into the bowl.
10. Add the finely chopped glace cherries and apricots to the fruit mixture.
11. Pour the extra water into a small saucepan.
12. Sprinkle over gelatine, stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
13. Place the saucepan over a low heat and stir constantly until the gelatine is dissolved.
14. Add gelatine mixture to fruit mixture.
15. Add almonds, sherry, brandy and lemon juice to fruit mixture and mix well.
16. Now, take 1/3 cup liquid from the fruit mixture and pour HALF of it over the base of a metal pudding basin, reserving the other half.
17. Refrigerate until partly set.
18. When partly set, cut the extra cherries into quarters and arrange decoratively in the jelly in the bottom of the pudding basin.
19. Pour over the remaining reserved liquid and refrigerate until set.
20. When the jelly in the basin is set, add the rest of the fruit mixture.
21. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and refrigerate overnight to set.
22. This pudding will keep happily for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
23. To unmould, take a blunt knife and carefully work around the sides of the basin, breaking the airlock between the pudding and the mould.
24. Place a serving plate on the top of the basin, then, holding the plate firmly, tip the basin upside down and remove it gently.
25. If all the pudding is not eaten, I usually put it back into the pudding basin to store as the metal sides keep it nice and cold.
26. Serve with cream, icecream or custard.