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Sift together
the flours, baking powder and spices
into a large bowl. Stir in the almonds,
suet, sugar and breadcrumbs, mixing
well. Add the remaining pudding ingredients
stirring well after each addition.
Cover with cling film and leave in
the fridge or a really cool place
for 24 hours or up to 1 week if possible,
stirring a few times.
Grease
and lightly flour either 3 x 900ml/1
1/2 pint or 2 x 1.2 litre/2 pint basins
and pack in the pudding mixture. Top
the surface of the puddings with a
circle of greaseproof paper, then
cover with baking parchment or aluminum
foil. Fold around the edges of the
basin and tie with string, or tightly
scrunch the foil under the lip of
the basin. Place in a steamer of boiling
water for about 6 hours, topping up
with water every so often, making
sure it doesn't boil away (if you
don't have a steamer, you can place
the pudding on an upturned bowl in
the bottom of the saucepan).
Leave to
cool and remove the parchment/foil
and greaseproof paper and replace
with a new lot. The puddings can now
be stored in a cool, dry place. On
the big day the pudding should be
steamed for about 1.5-2 hours, or
covered loosely and heated in the
microwave for about 6 minutes on high
power, checking its progress every
so often by inserting a skewer into
the centre and leaving for a couple
of seconds. If the skewer comes out
piping hot, the pudding is ready to
eat after standing for 1 minute. For
more accurate timings it is best to
check the manufacturer instructions.
To flame
the pudding half-fill a metal ladle
with brandy (or use as much as you
want) and carefully heat over a gas
flame or lit candle. When the flame
is hot enough, the brandy will light.
Pour the flaming brandy over the pudding.
Make sure the lights are out when
taking to the table for a grand entrance.
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