Ingredients:

• 60 g – flour
• 60 g – suet
• 12 g – allspice powder
• 12 g – Almond powder
• 50 g – fresh breadcrumbs
• 75 g – sultanas
• 75 g – black Currants
• 75 g – Raisins
• 50 g – mixed peel
• 50 g – Prunes
• 4 apples (peeled and grated)
• 50 g – Brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 10 ml – rum
• 10 ml – brandy
• 10 ml – sherry
• fresh Mint leaf
• juice of 1 Orange
• juice of 1 Lemon
• For Ginger bread ice-cream:
• 125 ml – Cream
• 125 ml – Milk
• 50 g – Sugar
• 6 Egg yolks
• 2 g – allspice powder
• 4 gingerbread cookies
• For vanilla bean anglaise:
• 250 ml – fresh Milk
• 50 g – Sugar
• 3 – Egg yolks
• 1 stick- vanilla bean

Method:

1. Wash and dry all the dried fruits. Chop the prunes to the size of the raisins.
2. Marinate the dried fruits in the brandy, rum and sherry for at least 4 days.
3. Wash, pat dry and chop up the suet as fine as possible and add to the fruits.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs, sugar and eggs) to the fruit mixture.
5. Whip the eggs with the brown sugar and fold into the fresh breadcrumbs.
6. Now fold the breadcrumb mixture into the fruit mixture.
7. Line the required moulds with a muslin cloth and spoon in the mixture.
8. Tie tightly on top. Steam the puddings for at least 4 hours.
9. For ice-cream:
10. Bring the milk and cream to a boil.
11. Add the cookies and allspice powder.
12. Whip the egg yolks with the sugar and scald the yolk mixture with the hot cream.
13. Cook over a double boiler for 3 to 4 minutes.
14. Freeze in an ice-cream machine.
15. For Vanilla bean anglaise: Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil.
16. Whip the egg yolks with the sugar and scald the yolk mixture with the hot milk.
17. Cook over a double boiler until coating consistency.
18. To serve:
19. Arrange plum pudding on a plate with gingerbread ice-cream on the side. Drizzle with vanilla bean sauce and garnish with fresh mint.