How to make a golden Christmas pudding

Salivating over Saturday morning cooking shows is probably the closest most men get to replicating the dishes on-screen. So we thought we’d get TV chef and Michelin starred dessert specialist Phil Vickery to jot down his recipe for the best pudding of the year, ensuring you won’t put a step wrong come the big day. Unless, of course, you forget to defrost the turkey.

What to buy

110g raisins; 75g sultanas; 1 small carrot grated; 1 small apple grated; 175mls cider; 50g runny honey; 50g cornflour; 100g rice flour; 50g soft brown sugar; 50g chopped dried figs; 50g pine nuts; 50g currants; 50g olive oil; 50g candied fruits chopped optional; 35g flaked almonds; 2 tsp mixed spice; 3 medium eggs (beaten); salt (large pinch)

The method

The hardest thing about this dish is getting the ingredients, but every piece of fruit is crucial. And the fact that it’s gluten-free allows people who suffer from Coeliac disease to enjoy the dish but never compromises the taste.

Put the carrot and fruit into a bowl and fill with cider. Allow it all to soak overnight. The next day it should be beautifully moist. Add the sugar, pine nuts, honey, flours, olive oil, spice, egg and finally salt. Get a wooden spoon and mix it around for five minutes.

Pack it into a 2lb pudding basin, cover with greaseproof paper and foil and secure well. You now need to steam it for four hours: put inverted saucers into the bottom of a small pan and pour boiling water halfway up the pudding. Leave it to simmer for 4 hours.

Once ready, remove and cool it. It should be light, golden and rich. Pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes before serving.

For more information and sample recipes see Phil’s website www.vickery.tv

He also has his Seriously Good Gluten Free Living app is available from the Apple iTunes Store and works on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.