Ice Cream Christmas Pudding
This Ice Cream Christmas Pudding recipe brings the familiar flavours of dried fruit, citrus and spice to a dessert made for a hot South African Christmas. There is no steaming pot or oven to watch: just soften good vanilla ice cream, fold in the extras and let the freezer do the work.
Chopped pecans add crunch, dark chocolate balances the sweetness, and a little orange juice moistens the fruit without adding alcohol. Make it the day before lunch so it has time to freeze properly. A lined pudding basin gives it that traditional rounded shape, but a deep mixing bowl works too. Bring it to the table just before serving, with chilled plates ready for the first slices.
Ingredients
Fruit mixture
Ice cream pudding
Instructions
- 1Check that a 2.5-litre freezer-safe pudding basin or deep mixing bowl fits upright in your freezer. Line it with two overlapping sheets of clingfilm, leaving plenty hanging over the rim.
- 2Combine the raisins, cranberries, mixed peel, orange juice, zest, cinnamon and mixed spice in a small bowl. Leave for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- 3Drain the fruit in a sieve, discarding any unabsorbed juice. Blot away excess surface moisture with kitchen paper, then refrigerate the fruit until cool. This helps prevent icy pockets in the pudding.
- 4Place a large mixing bowl in the fridge to chill. Soften the ice cream in the fridge for 20–30 minutes, checking regularly: it should be easy to scoop and fold, but still thick and frozen rather than liquid.
- 5Working quickly, scoop the ice cream into the chilled bowl. Fold in the chilled fruit, pecans and chocolate until evenly distributed. If the ice cream becomes runny, stop and chill it in the freezer until thick again.
- 6Spoon the mixture into the lined basin in batches, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Smooth the top, fold the overhanging clingfilm over it and cover tightly.
- 7Freeze upright for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight, until firm all the way through. The freezing time is additional to the preparation time.
- 8Chill a serving platter. Uncover the pudding, invert it onto the platter and gently pull the clingfilm to help release it. If it sticks, press a warm, damp cloth against the outside of the basin for a few seconds. Lift off the basin and peel away the clingfilm.
- 9Slice immediately with a sturdy knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry between cuts. If it is too hard to cut, allow 5 minutes at room temperature first. Serve promptly and return the remaining pudding to the freezer before it softens.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 301 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Protein
- 4.5 g
- Fat
- 16.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.2 g
- Sugar
- 30.5 g
- Fibre
- 2.3 g
- Sodium
- 69 mg
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Make the pudding up to two weeks ahead and keep tightly covered in a freezer at −18°C or colder. Allow at least 12 hours for the initial freeze.
- For a nut-free version, omit the pecans and check the ice cream and chocolate labels for nut ingredients and cross-contact warnings.
- Chop the fruit and chocolate fairly small so the frozen pudding is easier to slice. Drain the soaked fruit well rather than pouring extra juice into the ice cream.
- On a very hot day, slice in the kitchen and serve on chilled plates. Fresh cherries or strawberries make a lovely accompaniment; add them at serving time rather than freezing them into the pudding.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a loaf tin instead of a pudding basin?
Yes. Use a freezer-safe tin or container with a capacity of at least 2.5 litres, or divide the mixture between two smaller lined tins. Leave enough clingfilm over the edges to help lift it out.
Can I soften the ice cream on the kitchen counter?
The fridge gives you more control, especially during a South African summer. Soften only until workable and assemble promptly. Do not use ice cream that has melted into liquid or been left standing in the heat.
How long does preparation take, and are the nutrition figures exact?
Allow about 50 minutes for preparation, including soaking and softening, plus at least 12 hours in the freezer. Nutrition is an estimate for one-twelfth of the pudding, assuming the 2 litres of ice cream weighs about 1 kg. Brands vary in weight, sweetness and fat content.
