Raw Christmas Pudding
I think weighed up against the numerous other desserts at the dinner table, the Christmas pudding always gets the last look. So this year, I not only wanted to re-create a traditional festive favorite but also take this classic dessert up a notch to give it another chance at becoming a family favourite.
For a fun alternative, halve the ingredients to make 10 small bliss ball versions – a great canapé idea for any festive party.
Serves 1 Pudding
Cooks in 45 Minutes
Ingredients
- 400g mixed nuts
- 100g medjool dates
- 120g dried fruit
- 1 tbsp. mixed spice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Juice of ½ a small orange
- Zest of 1 small orange
Stir Ins
- 50g pecans roughly chopped
- 45g raisins
Icing
- 100g raw unsalted cashews soaked in water for at least 5 hours or overnight
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- ½ tbsp. maple syrup
- Juice 1 lemon
Marzipan
- 100g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. almond essence
- Handful goji berries to garnish
Method
- Start by soaking the dates – place them in a regular breakfast bowl and add hot water until they are just about covered. Sit the bowl to one side for 20 minutes.
- Place the dates in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms.
- Add in the orange juice, zest and vanilla extract. Blend for a further 30 seconds to combine.
- Add in the rest of the Christmas cake ingredients and pulse until they have broken down into a thick breadcrumb texture that easily sticks together. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes depending on your food processor.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and raisins using a spoon.
- Prepare a mold (I used circular cooking rings but a pudding basin will work also). Press the Christmas cake dough into the mold firmly ensuring both ends are even.
- Place in the fridge while you prepare the toppings.
- For the marzipan, drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Place the cashews in a food processor or Nutri Bullet along with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until a smooth thick creamy sauce forms.
- The marzipan couldn’t be any easier; simply add all the ingredients into a small bowl and using a spoon combine them all into a dough.
- To assemble the cakes, gently tap the raw puddings from their molds, roll out the marzipan to 1 cm thick and ether cut using your stencil rings or create different shapes to decorate.
- Next lather on the icing using a knife and garnish which some goji berries.
- Store in the fridge, and keep any extra cashew icing left in a glass jar refrigerated – it’s also a great spread for pancakes!