Mini Christmas Puddings with Mascarpone

25 minutes prep, 45 minutes cook

Serves 9

Ingredients

100g Billington’s Unrefined Dark

Muscovado Sugar

50g butter, softened

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spices

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 medium free-range eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsps black treacle

75ml dark spiced rum

100g apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks

75g currants

75g dried currants

50g pecans, toasted and chopped

400g jar of luxury mince meat

1 orange, grated zest and juice

2 tbsps brandy

For the mascarpone:

2 tbsps Billington’s Unrefined Light

Muscovado Sugar

2 tbsps spiced dark rum

100g mascarpone

100g Greek-style yoghurt

Grated zest of 1 lime

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/ Gas Mark 4. Using an electric mixer, combine the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and spices, and then mix again until combined. Slowly add the eggs, followed by all the remaining ingredients for the puddings, mixing together as you go.

Take 8 x 175ml greased pudding moulds and line the bases with a circle of baking parchment. Divide the mixture between the pudding moulds and transfer to a large roasting tray. Top each surface of the batter with another circle of baking parchment, then cover each with a square sheet of foil (roughly 10cm). Scrunch the foil around the rim making sure it is airtight.

Transfer the roasting tin to the oven and fill with boiling water from the kettle so that it comes roughly halfway up the side of each pudding mould. Cook for 45 minutes, or until springy and firm to the touch in the centre. Meanwhile, make the spiced rum mascarpone cream. Beat all the ingredients together in a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to serve with the Christmas puddings.