This Christmas pudding recipe is free from the top 14 allergens. We are sharing it with kind permission from Alexa Baracaia. She was given it when her son was first diagnosed with food allergies and has included it in her book My Family & Food Allergies.
Ingredients:
- 100g gluten-free bread flour
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 2 tsps mixed spice
- 50g prunes
- 15g dried apricots
- 125g sultanas
- 125g raisins
- 125g currants
- 50g mixed peel
- 50g glace cherries
- 1 orange – juice and grated zest
- 1 lemon – juice and grated zest
- 50g sunflower oil
Method:
1. Sieve the flour, sugar and mixed spice and stir in a large bowl.
2. Chop the large dried fruit in a separate bowl and mix with the rest of the dried and candied fruit.
3. Add lemon and orange zest and juice, along with the oil. Stir together.
4. Add in the dry ingredients and stir well.
5. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for at least two hours, or overnight.
6. Prepare the basin by oiling the inside of it. Cut two circles of greaseproof paper to fit just inside the top. Pour the pudding mixture into the bowl, pushing it well down and smoothing over the top.
Pop the greaseproof sheets on top.
7. Cover the top of the basin with foil, securing it tightly around the outer rim by tucking in or tying with string.
8. Put the pudding in a large pan with boiling water halfway up the basin.
9. Simmer for two hours with the lid on, adding extra boiling water as it evaporates (don’t forget to keep checking!).
10. Remove from the pan and leave to cool, keeping the foil on top.
11. Keep it in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks.
12. On the day, replace both the foil and greaseproof paper circles with fresh ones.
12. Simmer as per step 8 for one hour. Remove the pudding and serve!
Nb. Some dried fruit contains sulphites, so please check the ingredients carefully if you need to avoid them.
**Always check the ingredients of any food you’re cooking with to make sure it doesn’t contain something you or your child should avoid.
