Figgy Pudding

Method

1. Snip the stalks from 60 g of dried figs and chop them small. Put them in a bowl with 1 tbsp of brandy and 40 ml of whole milk, warm the bowl briefly over the kettle steam or in a low oven so the fruit drinks the liquid, and leave to soak for 30 minutes until plump and sticky.
2. Grease a 300 ml pudding basin thoroughly with 1 tsp of softened butter, right into the fluting, and lay a small disc of baking paper in the base. Stand a trivet or an upturned saucer in a deep pan and set the kettle on to boil.
3. In a mixing bowl rub together 30 g of plain flour, 30 g of fresh white breadcrumbs, 20 g of shredded suet and 25 g of dark muscovado sugar until no lumps of sugar remain. Stir through 0.25 tsp of baking powder, 0.5 tsp of mixed spice, 1 pinch of grated nutmeg, 0.5 tsp of finely grated lemon zest and 1 pinch of salt.