*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

               Frances Bissell's Low-Fat Christmas Pudding

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Desserts                         Low fat

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
 230       g            Fresh whole-grain bread
                        - crumbs (4 c)
 230       g            Muscatel raisins (2 c)
 230       g            Sultanas (2 c)
 230       g            Dried apricots (2 c)
  60       g            Almond macaroons or amaretti
                        - (3/4 c) -- crumbled
  60       g            Almonds (3/4 c) -- chopped
  60       g            Almonds (1/2 c) -- sliced or
                        - ground
   1                    Apple -- ground
   1       tb           Orange zest -- ground
   1       t            Ground cinnamon
   1       t            Ground mace
     1/2   ts           Ground cardamom
     1/2   ts           Ground cloves
     1/2   ts           Ground allspice
   2       tb           Marmalade -OR-
   2       tb           Candied orange peel -- minced
   1                    Orange -- juice of
   4       md           Eggs
   6       tb           Cognac
 140       ml           Fortified muscat wine, port,
                        - marsala, or
                        - rich oloroso sherry
                        - (scant 2/3 c)

  Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
  Put the marmalade, orange juice, eggs, brandy, and wine in another
  large bowl, or in the blender or food processor, and beat until
  well blended and frothy. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients.
  Mix until moist. Cover, and let sand for a couple of hours at least
  and, if possible, overnight to let the spice flavours develop.
  
  Oil or butter the pudding basin and spoon in the mixture. As it
  contains no raw flour, it will not expand very much during the
  cooking, so you can fill the basin to within 1.25 cm (1/2") of the
  rim. Take a square of greaseproof or waxed paper, oil or butter it
  and tie it over the top of the basin with string.
  
  Steam in boiling water for 5 hours. Allow pudding to cool
  completely before wrapping it, still in its basin, in fresh
  greaseproof paper plus a layer of foil. Store in a cool dark
  place.
  
  On Christmas Day, steam for a further 2 hours.
  
  Bissell/Levy suggest serving this with creme fraiche, rather than
  the traditional brandy butter, and I do think this is one occasion
  when a little cream is permissible!
 

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