Clementine christmas pudding

Peel, core and grate the apple, peel and grate the carrot and chop the almonds. Put all three ingredients into a very large mixing bowl with the breadcrumbs, suet, sugars, spices, flour and dried fruit, and stir to mix.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the marmalade, Cointreau and clementine zest and juice, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir everything thoroughly together.

Pile a third of the mixture into a buttered 1.5 litre pudding basin (I use a stoneware one). Nestle the whole clementine in the middle, then tightly pack the rest of the mixture around and on top of it.

Cut a large square of non-stick baking paper and butter one side of it. Cut out a square of kitchen foil the same size and place both on top of the basin, with the buttered side of the baking paper face down first. Make a pleat in the middle of the paper and foil, folding them together - this will give room for the pudding to expand as it cooks.

Tightly secure the foil and paper with a double-length string around the top of the basin (you will need the help of another pair of hands to do this), then cross the string over the top and secure it on the other side - this makes a handle for you to use to lift the hot pudding out of the pan once it is cooked.

Steam the pudding for 4 hours - I use a large pan with a fan steamer (or saucer) in the bottom. Make sure the water stays at a steady but gentle boil and when you need to top it up, do so from a boiling kettle.

Leave the cooked pudding to cool. Once cold remove the paper and foil and replace with a fresh set, then store the pudding in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day, when it will need a further 2 hours steaming.

For the candied clementine slices – which can be made a day or two ahead – dissolve the 50g sugar in 50ml water in a small pan over a gentle heat, stirring to make sure the sugar doesn’t stick. Simmer the clementine slices, in the syrup, uncovered in a single layer for 30 minutes, turning halfway. Transfer the slices to non-stick baking paper to cool.

For the clementine cream, whip the chilled cream with the icing sugar, then fold in the zest, marmalade and a little Cointreau, if using. Serve with the pudding, topped with the candied clementine slices, with pride.