How to make the best-ever Christmas pudding

Whip up the perfect centrepiece to your festive feast with our traditional Christmas Pudding (RECIPE BELOW). It’s fruity, rich and deliciously moist.
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Christmas Pudding
Serves 16 Prep 40 mins (+ 10 mins standing & overnight soaking time) Cooking 6 hours 5 mins
800g mixed dried fruit
½ cup (70g) slivered almonds
1 tbs finely grated orange rind
½ cup (125ml) orange juice
½ cup (125ml) orange-flavoured liqueur or orange juice, extra
250g butter, softened
¾ cup (165g) dark brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
4 Coles Brand Australian Free Range Eggs
3 cups (210g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
½ cup (75g) plain flour
Vanilla ice-cream, to serve
Candied orange (optional), to serve
Orange butter
125g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (165g) brown sugar
¼ cup (60ml) orange-flavoured liqueur or orange juice
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
½ tsp mixed spice
1 Place mixed fruit, almonds and orange rind in a large bowl. Bring orange juice and liqueur to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Pour over mixture. Cover and place in the fridge overnight to soak.
2 Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and mixed spice in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add to the fruit mixture and combine. Stir in the breadcrumbs and flour.
3 Grease a 2L (8 cup) pudding basin. Line base with a disc of baking paper. Dust sides with flour. Spoon in mixture. Smooth the surface. Cut a 30cm square of baking paper and foil. Place paper on top of foil. Fold the centre to pleat. Place over basin, foil-side up. Use a lid or tie string twice around the top to secure. Scrunch paper and foil tightly around the rim of the basin.
4 Place an upturned heatproof saucer in the base of a large saucepan. Place the pudding basin on saucer in the pan. Add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up side of the basin. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, covered, adding more boiling water as necessary, for 6 hours or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Set aside for 10 mins before turning on a serving plate.
5 To make orange butter, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add liqueur or orange juice, orange rind and mixed spice and beat until well combined.
6 Serve pudding with ice-cream, orange butter and candied orange, if desired.
Candied orange
Thinly slice 1 orange and zest 1 extra orange. Stir ½ cup (110g) caster sugar and ½ cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over low heat for 2 mins or until sugar dissolves. Add sliced orange and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-8 mins or until rind softens and becomes translucent. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Add orange zest to saucepan and cook for a further 1-2 mins or until softened. Use forks to transfer to the tray. Set aside to cool.
Want more Christmas baking? Check out ‘Our most beautiful Christmas baking recipes’ playlist , which includes:
How to make Christmas fruitcake:
How to make chocolate truffles with Curtis Stone:
How to make gingerbread men:
How to make traditional fruit mince pies with Curtis Stone: