Individual Christmas Puddings

150g/5oz SR flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
50g/2oz softened butter
2 eggs, size 2
75ml/3floz molasses or treacle
110ml/4floz Irish stout
2 tbsp dark rum
411g jar of luxury or homemade mincemeat
75g/3oz Bramley apple - peeled, cored and finely chopped
175g/6oz currants
25g/1oz roasted hazelnuts, chopped
Grated zest of an orange and a lemon
8 individual pudding basins plus paper and foil

1. Place dry ingredients, butter, eggs, molasses, stout and rum into a processor and beat together. Alternatively place ingredients into a large bowl and use a hand-held electric whisk.
2. Stir in mincemeat, apple, currants, nuts and zests.
3. Grease 8 small pudding basins and divide mixture equally into the basins.
4. Cover each with a circle of buttered greaseproof paper and a square of foil, using a pleating motion to seal edges.
5. Place in a roasting tin and pour 1cm of boiling water around the basins.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180'C for approximately 45 minutes.
7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from basins by running a knife around the pudding before turning onto a serving plate.

These can also be cooled, individually wrapped in greaseproof paper and placed in a container in the freezer until Christmas. Defrost before cooking and bake on a tray, covered with a foil tent at 180'C for 25 minutes or reheat in a microwave.