• 2 x 2 pint (1.2 litre) basins or 4 x 1 pint (570ml) basins
• Greaseproof paper
• String
• 2 or 4 pudding cloths / dishcloths:
• 225g shredded suet
• 110g self-raising flour, sifted
• 225g stale white breadcrumbs
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 450g soft brown sugar
• 225g sultanas
• 225g raisins
• 575g currants
• 50g chopped mixed peel
• 50g almonds, blanched and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• grated rind of 1 orange
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons rum
• 150ml barley wine
• 150ml stout

In a different bowl, beat up the eggs, and mix the rum, barley wine and stout into them. Empty all this over the dry ingredients – and then stir very hard indeed. (Don’t forget to make a wish!) You may find you need a bit more stout – the mixture should be of a good dropping consistency (i.e. it should drop from the spoon when tapped sharply on the edge of the bowl).

After the mixing, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it overnight. The next day, grease two (or four) pudding basins and pack the mixture into them right to the top. Cover each basin with a square of greaseproof paper, with a square pudding cloth on top. Tie these round the rims of the bowls with string then tie the corners of the cloth together on top.

Steam the puddings for 8 hours – keeping an eye on the water to make sure it doesn’t boil away. When cooked and cooled, remove the paper and the cloths and replace with a fresh lot.

Store in a cool dry place and, when ready to eat, steam for 2 hours.

Acknowledgement and thanks are due to Delia Smith and her Complete Cookery Course, published by BBC Books. Further recipes are available at www.deliaonline.com