Christmas Eve Pudding

Ingredients

• 6 Portuguese day old buns
• 1 full cup of sugar (250gr)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup candied fruit mix
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/3 cup of Rum or Brandy
• 1 orange (juice and grated rind)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• butter and sugar for cake pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, add the almonds, raisins and candied fruit mix, pour rum or brandy over mix. Set aside, allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl add the buns that have been cut into small pieces. Pour the hot milk over the bread, cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Grease and sugar a cake pan.
5. Add sugar and eggs to the bread mixture and mix well (make sure bread is mashed).
6. Mix in the orange rind and juice, followed by the melted butter and cinnamon. Continue to mix.
7. Finally mix in the rum fruit mixture.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Place the cake pan into a large roasting pan, adding approximately 2 inches of boiling water.
10. Allow to cook for 40 minutes in the water bath. Use a toothpick to check if pudding is done.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool in water bath.
12. Remove from pan and decorate. I dusted mine with icing sugar.