Jamie says "This is based on my dear Nan’s beautiful pudding recipe, which gives you a much lighter result than a traditional Christmas pud. It has more dynamic flavours, and is super-easy to make – this is exactly the way I like it best. Enjoy! "
Destone your dates, then, by hand or in a food processor, finely chop the flesh with the apricots, pecans, ginger and rosemary leaves
Place it all in a mixing bowl with the cranberries, raisins, suet, flour, breadcrumbs and milk
Crack in the egg, finely grate in the clementine zest, squeeze in the juice and mix it all together really well
Tip the mixture into the greased bowl and cover with a single layer of greaseproof paper and a double layer of tin foil
Tie a piece of string around the bowl to secure them in place and make it watertight, then sit it in a large, deep saucepan and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
Bring the water to the boil, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce to a simmer for 4 hours
Check the water regularly, and keep topping it up with boiling water, if needed
When the time’s up, lift out the bowl, remove the foil and paper, then carefully turn the pudding out onto a plate ready to serve, or leave to cool and reheat just before you need it.
You can either drizzle it with golden syrup and a swig of Bourbon – gorgeous – or be a bit more flamboyant and gently heat a good few swigs of Bourbon just to warm it, then strike a match to the pan (stand back!), let it flame, and carefully pour it over your pudding
Present it to your guests and sing some Christmassy songs, then when the flame subsides drizzle with golden syrup
Serve with cream, custard or even ice cream
Notes
LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS Cold leftovers are delicious with a slice of British cheese, such as Lancashire, or in a Christmas sundae.GET AHEAD After steaming, allow the pudding to cool, then remove the greaseproof paper, leaving it covered with tin foil. Store in a cool, dark place until the big day, then simply steam again to reheat - about an hour should do it, until piping hot throughout.