Christmas pudding

Preparation

1. We start our recipe by chopping the stale bread, for this we crumble it a little with our fingers and crush during 15 seconds, speed 7. We withdraw and reserve.

2. Mix the flour, baking soda, spice mix and cinnamon during 20 seconds at speed 5. We wait a few seconds before opening the lid. We withdraw and reserve.

3. We chop the dates, plums and dried apricots during 4 seconds, speed 6.

4. We add the rest of the fruits except the cherries. We pour the wine and water. We program 7 minutes, 100º, speed 1, left turn. After time we remove, reserve and let cool.

5. We put the butter and crush during 5 seconds, speed 8. We lower the butter towards the blades and place the butterfly in position. We add the sugar and program 2 minutes, speed 3 1/2.

6. We program 15 seconds, speed 2. We add an egg through the mouth and let about 5 seconds pass before adding the other.

7. Remove the butterfly and add the breadcrumbs, the cold fruit mixture, the cherries and the flour mixture. We program 2 minutes, glass closed, spike speed, left turn.

8. While we grease a 1750 cc mold, that is, a mold that holds 1750 g of water. Better be metal, glass or ceramic. We cover the base with a circle of parchment paper also greased.

9. We put the mixture in the container and squeeze it to make it compact. We cover it with another circle of greased baking paper and close it with aluminum foil that we will tie on the outside so that the inside is as hermetic as possible.

10. In a pot, which fits our mold, we put a rack in the bottom (or a small inverted plate). We fill with water but not much so that it does not overflow and we heat it until it starts to boil. When we have the water ready, we place the mold inside, being very careful not to burn ourselves. We put the lid on the pot and wait for it to start boiling again. When it is already bubbly, we lower the temperature so that it continues to boil moderately. You have to make a "chup chup" a little faster than when we make a stew in the traditional way.

11. We let it steam for 8 hours. It is very important to monitor frequently that you do not run out of water. It must always cover 3/4 of the mold and, when it is necessary to add water, it must be hot water so as not to cut the steam.

12. After time, we click like when we make a cake to check that it is done. The stick has to come out clean, if it has dough stuck you have to keep cooking it.

13. Remove and let 15 minutes elapse before unmolding. We cover it well with baking paper, making sure that there are no gaps. Then we cover it with aluminum foil.

14. We will reserve it in a cool and dry place, if you have a pantry with these characteristics it would be perfect. It can also be kept in the fridge.

15. If you do it weeks in advance, remember that you have to soak it with cognac or another liquor every week.

16. If you do it 4 or 5 days in advance it is not necessary.

17. The day it is to be consumed, we steam it again for 2 hours.

18. At the time of serving, there are those who flambé it. It can also be served with a English cream.