As Melbourne swelters through 41 degrees today, this post comes at a good time. Christmas lunch at Nana’s was always a roast. No matter how high the mercury reached all 16 of us would squish into her house with our piping hot meals, looking forward to pudding and custard for dessert. One year Nana was so concerned that the roast would go cold that she turned off the air conditioning. To everyone’s dismay the unit wouldn’t turn on again. That was a toasty Christmas.

These days our Christmas lunch is full of cold meats and salads. But what for pudding? I found the solution! Heatwave Plum Pudding. You’re guests will be puzzled, delighted, satisfied. This looks, smells and tastes like your traditional pud. But it’s a trick made for an Australian Christmas. Read on and you’ll found out how. . .

You will need: (don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients!)

• 4 oz sultanas
• 3 oz seeded raisins
• 2 oz prunes
• 1/2 cup sweet sherry (mine was medium and it worked really well – not too sweet)
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 3 dessertspoons gelatine
• 1 oz currants
• 2 oz mixed peel
• 2 bananas
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• curl of thin lemon rind
• 3 oz cherries (I used pie filling cherries – yes I know gross. But they worked really well)
• 1 oz preserved ginger
• 1 oz blanched almonds
• 1 dessertspoon lemon juice

(note: 1 oz is approximately 28g)

Do this:

Blanch the almonds (or don’t bother to put them in like me). Put the sultanas, currants, raisins and mixed peel in a saucepan and just cover with some hot water. Cook this for about 15 minutes until the fruit is plump. Drain well and cool a little.

Shred the almonds (if your using them). Slice the bananas, cherries, ginger and prunes. Mix well together in a bowl with the fruit that you cooked. Pour over half the sherry, cover with a plate and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

Put the half cup of hot water in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon rind and juice and bring to the boil.
Strain. Add the gelatine which has been softened in the cold water. Make up to half a pint with additional cold water. Add the remainder of the sherry and pour over fruit.

Place in a pudding basin to set. Chill very well. When turning out, run a little warm water over the basin until the sides of the pudding melt just a little. Then turn out onto a serving dish. Serve with ice cream!

When I served this to my family they couldn’t believe it wasn’t a real pudding. Biting into it tastes like pudding, but it’s lovely, cold and refreshing. Not heavy like your traditional pud. Great for those who can’t eat gluten, wheat or dairy.

Keep cool!

Kath and Kate xxx