Believe it or not, I have been carrying this around in my diary after cutting it out last year - with the intention of making it last Christmas but never getting round to it:
Ingredients:
225g dates
150ml apple or orange juice
125g raisins
125g sultanas
60g oats
60g wholemeal flour
1 large carrot, finely grated
1 banana, mashed
1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon
2 tablespoons brandy
150ml skimmed milk
1. place half the dates and fruit juice in a saucepan abd bring to boil. Turn off heat and leave for 30 mins. Mash with a fork.
2. Place the remaining ingredients with the date puree in a large bowl and mix well. Add a little extra milk if necessary until you have a soft mixture that falls heavily from the spoon.
3. Line a 900ml pudding basin with greaseproof paper and a piece of foil. Tie down securely with string. Place the basin in a large saucepan and pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bring to the boil, the cover the pan and steam for 4 hours. Check the water level regularly and top up with boiling water when necessary.
4. Remove the pudding from the pan and allow it to cool before storing in a cool dry place.
5. Steam the pudding for an hour before serving, the remove the paper and foil and turn it out on a warmed plate.
My goodness, it's become like the baking hour on here......
Hope this helps. I may even get round to trying it myself this year.
