recipes from Eliza Acton's 'Modern Cookery'. I have quite a few of her

recipes in my cookbook because, well, she's very, very good. I understand she was the

first person to call plum pudding Christmas pudding. For this recipe

you will need:

Flour

Breadcrumbs

Suet

Raisins

Currants

Apple

Sugar

Candied peel

Mixed spice

Salt

Brandy

And eggs.

To my bowl of flour I shall add all the dry ingredients: suet, raisins, currants

the sugar, apple, a little spice, and some candied peel.

Plum pudding is eaten in country houses like this throughout the autumn and winter months

but as it's Christmas Day, this plum pudding will be 'Christmas pudding' and Mr. Lincoln the

butler will pour over hot brandy and set light to it when it's served.

Oh, I better add the wet ingredients: the eggs and the brandy.

Now to choose the mould.

I've lined my mould with butter and I'm now going to put in the mix making sure

it gets right down to the bottom.

Now using a wet cloth that has been well floured, I'm going to lay it on top leaving a fold so it has room to rise.

And now I'm going to steam it, putting the water just about half way up the mould.

You can of course boil your plum pudding in a cloth for that traditional

cannonball shape, or steam it in a plain mould but that's not very imaginative.

You can then steam it for about four hours, but it is quite forgiving so if

it's a little longer don't worry. Just don't let it boil dry.

Now the pudding is ready it's time to turn it out.

As this is Christmas Day, I'm going to decorate it with some holly.

There we are. Christmas pudding.