Classic Christmas pudding

1. Get everything ready first: roughly chop the almonds, peel, core and chop the apples, and finely chop the candied peel by hand (the almonds and apples can go in a processor). Grate three-quarters of the nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl, mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy.
3. Keeping the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, stir, then carry on until all the butter is in. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes; it's ready when the mixture sinks slightly after each stir. Let everyone have a turn and make a wish.
4. Generously butter two 1.2-litre bowls and lay a circle of baking parchment in the base of each, then pack in the pudding mixture. Cover each with a double layer of pleated baking parchment, allowing room for the pudding to rise, tie with string and trim away the excess.
5. Stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil, bring the edges up, lay another sheet over the top and tuck it underneath for a watertight double parcel. Tie with string and add a string handle.
6. Boil or oven-steam the puddings for 8 hours, topping up the water as needed. Lift out and leave to cool overnight, then strip off the wrappings, re-wrap in fresh parchment, foil and string, and store somewhere cool and dry until Christmas.
7. For the brandy butter, beat the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar, then gradually work in the brandy and chopped stem ginger. Spoon into a bowl, rough up the top with a fork and chill to set. It keeps a week in the fridge or up to six weeks frozen.
8. On Christmas Day, boil or oven-steam for 1 hour, then unwrap and turn out. To flame it, warm 3 to 4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set it alight.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Steam it long and slow for hours; that patient, gentle cook is what builds the deep colour and flavour.
• Once cooked, wrap it tightly and keep it somewhere cool and dry so the flavours can mature in the weeks before Christmas.
• Check the steamer's water level often during the long cook so it never boils dry.
• Warm the brandy first before flaming, and stand well back as you put a match to it.