Christmas Pudding/Boiled Fruit Cake (gluten free, low amine, low glutamate)

Although this pudding does not use the traditional fruits, it tastes surprisingly like traditional Christmas pudding. If you tolerate amines, using the suggestions at the end of the post will result in a pudding which is unlikely to be noticed as 'non-traditional'.

The recipe makes a large quantity. I usually put as much as I want for a pudding into a basin to steam, then use any spare mix for boiled fruit cake. Whether it is boiled or baked, it's moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped dried apple

1 cup chopped dried pear

1 cup dried blueberries

1 cup chopped dried peaches

(dried fruit should preferably not be treated with sulphites, however some sulphites may be driven off when fruit is boiled)

2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed

2 cups water

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300g butter or non-dairy margarine

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon, if desired
1/2 tsp nutmeg, if desired

1. Place dried fruit, sugar, butter or margarine, water and bicarb soda into large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil for around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

While this is happening you can prepare your basins or tins: 

Last year I used a pudding basin with a lid, which was super easy. Otherwise I cover the basin with pleated foil and tie on with string, which I'm not expert at. It either case I grease the basin and line the bottom with a circle of greased greaseproof paper. 

For baking fruit cakes I line base and sides of tins with one layer of greased greaseproof paper. I usually make this cake in mini loaf tins. Because the cakes don't require long cooking extra layers usually aren't needed, though if you want to make the entire quantity as one cake (baked in an 8 inch square tin it will come out fairly tall) an extra layer of paper may prevent excessive browning.

2. After mixture has cooled, add eggs gradually and stir in, then add combined brown rice flour and spices (if using) in two batches and fold in. 

3. Pour as much mix as you want into prepared basins/tins, bearing in mind that it will rise on cooking. I steam the pudding for 4 hours if it's a half quantity, up to 6 hours if it's the full quantity of mix, which makes a very large pudding. Cakes usually take between 60 and 90 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius, depending on size. 

I tend not to use spices because I'm not really a fan, and it keeps the salicylate load lower (though it would be very high anyway due to the dried fruit). 

Suggested fruit can be substituted with any dried fruit combination. If you can tolerate amines, you could use figs, dates and cranberries, which would give a more traditional flavour, but still without glutamates. If you don't have any intolerances, feel free to use sultanas, raisins and currants.