This weekend is Stir Up Sunday, a centuries-old annual tradition where bakers spend the last Sunday before Advent ‘stirring up’ their Christmas pudding.

Here is a recipe for a Christmas pudding packed full of fruit including figs, by the bakers at Hobbs House Bakery, in Chipping Sodbury.

Ingredients

1.5 litre pudding basin

175g sultanas

175g raisins

50g dried figs chopped

50g dried apricots chopped

50g dates chopped

(total 500g of fruit, mix can be varied)

30g glace cherries chopped

75ml stout

25ml brandy

1 apple peeled, cored and grated

Juice and zest of 1 orange

3 eggs

175g muscovado sugar

125g shredded suet

125g sourdough breadcrumbs

100g self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

Method

Soak all the dried fruit overnight in the alcohol

The next day add the grated apple, orange zest and juice

Beat the eggs

Add the sugar and beat

Then add the suet, breadcrumbs, flour and spice, keep beating until mixed

Combine the two mixes together, stir well

Line the bottom of the pudding with a disk of greaseproof

Cover the top with a double of layer of greaseproof and foil

Gather and tie tightly with string

Steam for 3 1/2 hours, then store until Christmas day

Enjoy!