VEGAN CHOC ORANGE XMAS PUDDING – All About Greens #Recipe

Victoria Hayes
19th November 2021

Stir-up Sunday is the day Christmas puddings are traditionally made and then stored to mature. This year it falls on 21 November, so now is the time to get ahead with your ingredients. Although traditionally made with lots of lovely boozy soaked dried fruit we realise everyone is not a fruit lover so why not have a go of our alternative chocolate orange one. A family favourite with my children.

Method

1 Start by thoroughly greasing a 1 – 1.2 litre pudding basin with vegan margarine. Place a disc of baking parchment in the bottom to prevent the top of the pudding from sticking. Pop the kettle on.

2 Mix together the flaxseed and 45ml of the orange juice in a small bowl to make a flax egg; set aside for at least 10 minutes to go gloopy. It should have the consistency of a raw egg.

3 Place the vegan butter, light brown sugar and remaining orange juice into a large pan over a low heat and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.

4 Mix the soy milk, vanilla extract, orange zest and the flax egg into the melted mixture then sift in the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and salt and whisk until no lumps of flour remain. Stir through the chocolate chips. Place the apricots into the bottom of the pudding basin and spread evenly.

5 Pour the batter into the prepared basin and spread level.

6 Cut a square piece of baking paper that is approximately 3 cm bigger than the top of your pudding basin, and then cut a square piece of foil that is approximately 6 cm bigger than the top of your pudding basin. Place the baking paper in the middle of the foil and make a crease down the centre (this will allow for expansion when the sponge is cooking.)

7 Place the foil and baking paper (baking paper facing the batter) on top of the pudding basin and press the foil over the edges, tucking it under with your fingers.

8 Tie a length of string very tightly around the foil (there should be a lip on the pudding basin; tie the string just under that).

9 Place a saucer upside down in a large saucepan and place the pudding basin on top, add enough boiling water from the kettle to cover the saucer but not the pudding basin. You want steam to be able to move around the pan.

10 Place a lid on the pan and cook over a low heat at a gentle simmer for approximately one and a half hours. Check after an hour to see if the water needs topping up but resist taking the lid off the pan too often. Once done remove the foil and baking paper and test
the sponge with a skewer to see if it comes out clean with no cake batter. Gently place a plate on top of the pudding bowl and then turn the bowl upside down onto the plate. Your pudding should gently decant onto the plate ready to serve.

This is great with a glassy chocolate sauce or vegan vanilla ice cream

Recipe Info

Serves

6

Serving Suggestions

This is great with a glassy chocolate sauce or vegan vanilla ice cream

Ingredients

Vegan Margarine 15g (for greasing)
Milled Flaxseed 5g
Oranges - 2, Zest & Juice
Vegan Butter 100g
Soft Light Brown Sugar 100g
Soya Milk 150ml
Vanilla Extract 7tsp
Self Raising Flour 180g
Cocoa Powder 50g
Grd Cinnamon 2g
Bicarbonate Soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Dairy Free Choco Chips 100g
Dried Apricots 150g

Equipment

Pudding Basin
Saucepans
Sieve
Whisk
Foil & string
Kettle
Baking Parchment