Is there anything more English and Christmassy than Christmas Pudding? It’s one of my favourite childhood Christmas memories – my grandma used to put silver sixpences in it and also light the brandy, it was all so exciting!!
Well I don’t do either of those things, but I am so glad to have a delicious, gluten, dairy, egg free recipe for my family to enjoy and hopefully create the same magic memories of this delicious pudding for my two girls.
Traditionally, this recipe is very heavy and of course full of gluten, sugar, alcohol etc. This version is chock full of delicious dried fruit and spices, so it’s wonderfully fragrant and decadent, but it’s not heavy or overly sweet.
It is absolutely divine, served with a lavender and blueberry poached pear!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried fruit of your choice. I love to use sultanas, chopped apricots, mulberries and blueberries.
- 1/2 cup of pitted chopped medjool dates
- 1 apple cored and cubed (1cm cubes)
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed, blended in the nutribullet or blender with 3 Tbsp of water
- 1/3 cup of buckwheat flour
- 1 cup of cashew flour (you can make this yourself with cashews in the blender)
- 1 cup of chopped hazelnuts and macadamias, or nuts of your choice
- the zest and juice of one orange
- 3 tablespoons of date syrup
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions:
Start by mixing all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then line a 1 litre pudding basin with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the lined bowl, place baking paper over the top and then tie a piece of string around it, so the paper stays securely on the bowl.
Put the bowl inside your largest saucepan and fill with boiling water, half way up the pudding basin. Cover with a lid, bring to a medium heat and gently simmer for 2 hours.
Every 30 minutes, check that the pan hasn’t evaporated dry. Top with water from the kettle if needed.
Once the pudding has finished cooking, remove the paper and place an upside down serving plate on top of the bowl. Flip and gently remove the basin to reveal your gorgeous Christmas Pudding!
Serve with Vanilla Coconut Yoghurt and a Lavender Poached Pear.
Robyn Puglia
Robyn is a Clinical Nutritionist with a specialised interest in the Functional Medicine approach to health. Robyn is very involved with the field of Coeliac Disease, Gluten-Reactive Disorders and Autoimmune Disease. Her passion for the healing power of food, has led her to work with complex cases, involving multiple diagnoses, and chronic health issues such as ME, auto-immune diseases and fibromyalgia. She also has a passion for working with the growing tide of chronic, lifestyle mediated illness; diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, and runs a lifestyle intervention clinic for these issues. Robyn works with patients to nutritionally support their bodies, so that they can heal. She has successfully helped many people around the world improve their health and increase their quality of life. Robyn sees clients in London, Tokyo and New York, and has a virtual practice that allows her to work with people all over the world.
