ingredients

225g butter
225g sugar
4 eggs
50g flour
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
225g fresh breadcrumbs
225g raisins
225g sultanas
225g currants
125g crystallised fruit
125g crystalised cherries, cut n half
250g mixed peel
125g preserved figs
125g preserved ginger
1 grated carrot
grated rind of 2 oranges
grated rind of 1 lemon
125g whole blanched almonds
75ml beer
75ml brandy

method
Beat butter & sugar to a cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients, breadcrumbs and mix well. Add fruit, nuts and lastly beer and brandy.

Place a small circle of buttered parchment paper (or non-stick baking paper) in the bottom of a large pudding bowl. Pour in pudding mixture. Cover bowl with 2 sheets of heavy foil and seal sides well so water will not get in as pudding cooks. Alternatively,place in lightly greased spherical pudding mould (shown).

Place pudding in a large boiler with a lid and pour hot water to come 3/4 up the bowl. Cover boiler and simmer pudding for 6 hours. Watch that the water doesn't boil dry and burn the pudding. Add a little more water from time to time as required. Remove pudding from water and store in a cool place until Christmas morning. Before serving, cook pudding for 2 hours in exactly the same way as before. Turn out onto a large plate and serve with hard sauce.

hard sauce

300g butter
500g pure icing sugar
1/2 cup brandy

Beat all ingredients together with electric beater until mixture is white and creamy. Pile into a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate until pudding is served.