Ingredients

Serves 8

Christmas Pudding
680 grams white wings self raising flour
340 grams brown sugar
600 grams Nuttelex margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
¾ cup of a mix of 50/50 Contreau and Brandy
8 eggs
453 grams chopped raisins
227 grams glazed red cherries
340 grams chopped sultanas
340 grams soft dates
2 tbsp finely chopped peel
250 grams each of glazed pineapple and apricots chopped up fine
237 grams flaked almonds
1 small tsp mixed spice

Sticky Date ice Cream
125 grams dates, chopped
150 ml boiling water
125 grams butter
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
125 ml thicken cream
1 ½ litres good quality vanilla ice cream

Method

Christmas Pudding
Marinate fruit in the Contreau / Brandy mix overnight if possible.
Cream margarine and sugar, add eggs gradually then mix in the fruit and finally the flour.
 
Grease the bowl and fill ¾ of the bowl with mix.  Cover bowl with an oven bag and top with foil.  Tie with string or good rubber bands.

Put bowl in pot of boiling water and boil for 2 to 3 hours, depending on size of basin.  Do not allow to boil dry.

Sticky Date Ice Cream
Bring dates and water up to the boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes or until dates are soft.
Remove from heat.
In a separate medium saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Stir in the cream and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and stir until sauce is smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in date mix.
Allow to cool completely.
Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften slightly.
Working quickly, thoroughly mix the ice cream and the date mixture.
Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Freeze overnight to set, then slice and serve.