insideKENT Magazine Issue 68 - November 2017 | Page 103

Mulled Wine
from SPAR
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for mulled wine,
which you can make a few days before Christmas
and chill until ready to heat again on 25th
December. This is sure to go down a treat with
friends and family. For the full effect, serve with a
cinnamon stick in each glass.
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
• Bottle SPAR Red Wine
• 50ml brandy
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 clementines or small oranges
• Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Cinnamon sticks to serve
Method:
Pour a bottle of SPAR award-winning red wine
into a large pan with 50ml brandy, 100ml water
and 2 tbsp sugar. Stir in 10 cloves, 1⁄2 tsp freshly
grated nutmeg and 1 tsp cinnamon. Heat gently
until the sugar has dissolved – do not boil. Add in
2 thinly sliced clementines or small oranges and
serve in glasses with a cinnamon stick (optional).
Figgy Pudding
from Belvoir
‘Stir up Sunday’ falls on the last Sunday of November, this is traditionally when cooks
prepare their fruit cakes and puddings for Christmas. This take on Christmas pudding
is lighter than some recipes; it’s filled with vine fruits and dried figs soaked in spiced
winter berry cordial until they are all plump and juicy. Delicious served with ginger
custard. This recipe makes two puddings so you can serve one and gift another!
Serves: 6-8 per pudding
Equipment: 2 x 800ml pudding basins
Ingredients:
• 350g ready to eat dried figs
• 300g mixed vine fruits
• 150ml Belvoir Spiced Winter Berries
Cordial
• 1 large eating apple
• 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 3 tbsp brandy or rum
• 125g soft butter
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 75g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 large eggs
Method:
1. Use scissors to snip the figs into small
pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the
mixed vine fruits and cordial and mix well.
Core the apple then coarsely grate, stir
into the fruits with the mixed spice and
brandy if using. Leave to soak for 20
minutes.
2. Meanwhile, use a little of the butter to
grease the base and sides of the pudding
basin. Cut a circle of baking parchment
to fit the bottom. Fill and boil the kettle.
Set the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas mark
4. Have a sheet of foil and a piece of
baking parchment to hand and fold a
crease in the centre.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter
and sugar together until fluffy. Add the
eggs and flour and beat well. Now add
the breadcrumbs and soaked fruits and
give everything a good mix. Get as many
helpers to stir too as this brings good luck!
4. Lay the baking paper and foil over the
pudding with the crease in the middle.
Roll up the edges to seal it tightly. Stand
the puddings in a deep roasting tray and
pour boiling water from the kettle to come
halfway up the side of the pudding basins.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes,
topping up the water as required.
5. Cool completely, then remove the foil
and paper and cover with clear film. Store
in a cool place. To reheat on Christmas
day, steam the pudding in a steamer for
a further 40 minutes. Invert it onto a plate
and top with clean holly, serve with ginger
custard or brandy butter.
For ginger custard:
Heat 400ml milk in a pan. In a large jug
mix 3 tbsp custard powder with 60ml
ginger cordial until it forms a paste. Pour
the hot milk onto the ginger paste, then
return the mix to the rinsed out pan. Bring
to the boil, stirring until the custard boils
and thickens. Serve hot.
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