Recipe: Vegan chocolate orange Christmas pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients

60g plain flour

3 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp baking powder

120g dark brown sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

150g fresh white breadcrumbs

½ tsp ground mixed spice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges

60ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

1 tsp natural orange extract

350g mixed dried fruit and peel, soaked in 4 tbsp brandy overnight

100g pitted dates, chopped

100g dark chocolate chips

For the chocolate sauce

100g dairy-free chocolate

2 tbsp dairy-free milk

Method

Grease a 1 litre pudding basin with the oil and place a circle of greaseproof paper at the bottom.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, breadcrumbs, spices and orange zest.

Whisk the orange juice, oil, orange extract and 80ml water together in a small jug.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the soaked dried fruits, dates and the chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pudding basin.

Cut a large square of greaseproof paper and another of foil, both slightly bigger than the basin. Place the foil over the paper and make a 2.5cm thick fold in the centre of both layers. Place on top of the pudding basin, paper-side down, and fasten securely with a piece of string around the basin, under the lip. Tie another piece to this one, run it across the top of the basin and tie the other end to the string on the opposite side of the basin to create a handle, so that you can easily lift the pudding out of the pan.

Place a trivet or upturned saucer at the bottom of a large saucepan and place the pudding basin on top. Fill the pan with hot water, so that it comes about two-thirds of the way up the

pudding basin. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer, then let it steam for 3½ hours, checking occasionally and topping up the water if needed so it doesn’t boil dry.

After 3½ hours, lift the pudding out of the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes, until the pudding starts to shrink away from the basin. Carefully, using a palette knife, loosen the pudding from the sides and turn over onto a plate.

Make the quick chocolate sauce. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water and add a few drops of milk to loosen it into a pourable consistency. Pour over

the pudding to serve. You can store the pudding in its basin and covered with foil, for up to a year in a cool dark place. To reheat the pudding, steam in the same way for 45 minutes, or microwave for 5 minutes.