Christmas Pudding

quarter cup dry sherry
450g currants
450g sultanas
450g raisins
eight prunes, stoned and chopped
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, ground nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
225 butter
three eggs
pinch salt
1 tablespoon treacle or golden syrup
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in half cup warm milk
1/2 cup brandy or black rum

Put all the fruit in a large bowl, sprinkle with the sherry and allow to stand overnight. Next day beat the butter and sugar together then add the eggs. Add the treacle or golden syrup, flour, spices, breadcrumbs, salt, and soda dissolved in the milk.

Pour this mixture over the fruit and stir well. Pour in the brandy or rum then call in the troops to have a stir and a wish.

Pour the mixture into a greased 20cm pudding basin. Cover with waxed paper and foil, putting a fold in each to allow to expansion. Tie on with string, leaving a handle of string across the top of the basin. Place in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 4 hours, checking the water level from time to time.

Store in a cool dry place, or in the freezer. On Christmas day boil for a further hour. Upturn onto a serving dish. Turn off the lights and flame the pudding with quarter of a cup of warmed brandy.

Serve with plain cream, whipped cream, ice cream, brandy butter, custard or whatever is your own Christmas tradition.