Grain & dairy free Christmas pudding
Why would you want to eat a Paleo Christmas pudding? Because apart from being gluten free, the nut flour and other ingredients give it extra flavour and nutrients. Also, the sugars are natural, and while they’re still sugar, they are not stripped of the good stuff.
I’ve made this one for the last 5 years and everyone has loved it, including those who normally eat grains and gluten. You can make it the week before Christmas and it still tastes fabulous.
PREPARATION TIME
20 minutes + overnight soaking time
COOKING TIME
8 hours steaming time
YIELDS
8-10 servings (in a 1-litre bowl)
NOTES
Paleo, grain free, dairy free
INGREDIENTS
80 g sultanas
80 g raisins
80 g currants
30 g dried apricots, chopped
30g cranberries
100 g candied mixed peel
70 ml alcoholic cider or ginger beer, or kombucha
2 tbsp rum
75 g ground almonds
1 tbsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
100 g dessicated coconut
75 g coconut butter
100 g coconut nectar
75 green apple or pear, grated
1/2 orange, zested
1/2 lemon, zested
2 eggs
1 tsp butter or coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
Place the dried fruit, candied peel and alcohol in a bowl and let steep overnight
In a separate bowl, mix the ground almonds with the mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda
Add the dessicated coconut, coconut butter and nectar to the ground almond, spices and bicarb mix
Drain the fruit from the alcohol and add to to dried mixture along with the apple / pear and zest
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the alcohol
Add this liquid to the fruit and mix thoroughly
Spoon the mixture into a lightly buttered / oiled 1 litre basin. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and aluminium foil and secure
Steam for 8 hours over a pan containing simmering water, checking water levels regularly
Remove from the steamer and let it cool. Take off the old paper and foil and replace with new. Wrap well so there can be no dehydration and store safely
Steam for 2 hours when ready to eat, serving it with a sauce of your choice e.g. brandy, rum, coconut yoghurt with vanilla