CHOKE BERRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Measure all of the fruit into a bowl. Add the brandy and orange juice. Leave to macerate for about an hour.
• Cream the butter together with the orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, until thoroughly combined. If the mixture starts to curdle stir in a spoonful of the flour.
• Sift together the flour and mixed spice. Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the bread crumbs and nuts. Stir in the soaked fruit along with any juices. Mix well together.
• Generously butter a 2 1/2 pint (5 cup) pudding basin. Cut a piece of baking paper into a circle large enough to cover the bottom of the basin.
• Spoon the pudding batter into the basin, smoothing over the top with the back of a spoon.
• Have ready a large piece of baking paper and a sheet of foil. Place the paper on top of the foil, making a pleat across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie securely over top of the pudding with some kitchen string. Trim off any excess.
• To Steam: put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for eight hours, topping up the water as necessary.
• To Boil: put a metal jam jar lid, or metal pan lid, into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet. Place a long, doubled strip of foil in the pan, between the trivet and the pudding basin, ensuring the ends of the strip reach up and hang over the edges of the pan. This will help you to lift the heavy pudding basin out of the pan of hot water when it has finished cooking. Lower the pudding onto the trivet and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the bowl. Cover with a lid, bring the water back to the boil, then simmer for about seven hours, until the pudding is a glorious deep brown colour, topping up the water as necessary.
• Once cooked, remove the pudding from the pan. Remove and discard the paper and foil. Replace with fresh. Store, covered, in a dry cool place.
• On Christmas Day make the brandy butter by beaing the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sifted icing sugar until smooth. Stir in the brandy and spoon into a serving dish. Cover and chill until needed.
• Steam or boil the pudding for about two hours to reheat. Turn onto a decorative, heat proof serving plate. To flame, warm the brandy or rum in a small saucepan. Pour it over the hot pudding and very carefuly set light to it with a match.
• Serve the pudding hot, spooned into bowls with a dab of brandy butter on top. Pouring cream goes very nicely with this.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger (reserve the other half to add right at the end). Add the curry powder and stir to combine. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are well combined with the other ingredients and coated in the curry powder. Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Cook until the mixture is well combined and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the baked beans, thyme and remaining ginger and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold.