X-MAS PUDD
INGREDIENTS
450g pitted fresh medjool dates
1 whole sweet orange – including skin.
2 organic eggs
1/4 cup olive oil or good quality melted cultured butter 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 ½ cups (250g) raisins
1 2/3 cups (250g) organic dried apricots, chopped
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 cups (300g) almond meal (see notes)
2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger pinch sea salt
METHOD
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Soak the raisins and apricots in the orange juice for a few hours or overnight – this will help them become plump and moist. Steam the whole orange for 1 hour until softened then cool.
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Preheat your oven to 160C fan forced or 180 C (no fan). Lightly oil 2 x 750 ml pudding moulds and line with baking paper – alternatively if you’re making individual puddings, lightly oil 12 x ½ cup dariole or pudding moulds.
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Combine dates and whole steamed orange (chopped) into a food processor. Process for about 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the dates have combined with the orange and a paste has formed. Add eggs, olive oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt and ginger. Process again until the batter is smooth and creamy looking. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain the orange juice from the soaked dried fruit and discard. Add sultanas, apricots, almond meal and mix well.
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Divide between pudding / dariole moulds. Place into a deep baking dish. Pour enough freshly boiled water to come half way up sides of pudding bowls.
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Cover with a layer of each baking paper and foil, pressing around edges of pan to completely seal.
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Bake large puddings for 1 hr 30 mins. Bake small puddings for 1 hour 10 minutes – test each to make sure they are fully cooked through before removing from the oven. The puddings should still be lovely and moist in the middle – but not wet or undercooked. Invert puddings onto a serving plate.
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Serve with Proper Custard or Cashew Cream with Tahitian vanilla or thick cultured Greek Style natural yoghurt. Enjoy