Light & Fruity Spiced Christmas Sponge Puddings

By Angela Patel

For a lighter alternative to a traditional Christmas pudding, why not try these delicious individual sponge puds? They are still packed full of all the classic seasonal flavours with brandy-soaked dried fruit and freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ginger.

Serve drenched in a warm and sweet orange syrup with a spoonful of nutmeg spiced brandy butter for the ultimate finale to the best meal of the year.

Kitchen tools needed:

Cole & Mason Nutmeg Grinding Mill

Prep: 20 mins, plus 2 hrs soaking time

Cook: 45-50 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Makes: 8 individual puddings

Ingredients

• 200g dried mixed fruit
• 2 tablespoons brandy (or orange juice)
• 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra melted butter for greasing
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, ground in the Cole & Mason Nutmeg Grinding Mill
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• Zest and juice of 1 small orange

For The Orange Sauce:

• 300ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• 75g caster sugar

Method

1. Pace the dried fruit in a shallow bowl and pour over the brandy. Cover and leave to soak for 2 hours (or longer if you time).
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas Mark 5. Thoroughly grease 8 x 175ml individual pudding basins with some of the extra melted butter.
3. Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, spices and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly blended. Fold in the brandy-soaked dried fruit and the orange zest and juice.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the buttered pudding basins. Cover each with a square of pleated, buttered foil, scrunching it tightly around the edges. Place the basins in a large deep roasting tin and pour in enough just-boiled water to come halfway up the sides of the basins.
5. Bake the puddings for 45-50 minutes or until risen, firm to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted into one of the puddings comes out clean.
6. While the puddings are baking make the orange sauce. Heat the orange juice and sugar in a small pan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 7-8 minutes until reduced and syrupy.
7. Leave the baked puddings for 5 minutes then turn out onto warmed serving plates (see Tips). Drizzle over the warm orange syrup and serve with brandy butter sprinkled with extra freshly grated nutmeg.

TIPS

Gently run the tip of a small palette knife around the edges and down the sides of each baked pudding to loosen them before turning out.

You can make these puddings up to two days before serving. Turn out and leave to cool completely, then cover with cling film or wrap individually in foil and keep in the fridge. Unwrap and place on a microwave-proof plate and reheat 3-4 at a time for 2-3 minutes on medium-high setting until piping hot. Alternatively freeze the cold puddings. Defrost thoroughly then reheat in the microwave.