Mary Berry shares a foolproof recipe from her new book, Mary Berry's Christmas Collection.

If a very good friend recommended a recipe for your family Christmas pudding - one that she has made every year and her guests love - you'd gratefully try it.

Cooking guru Mary Berry, who has more than 60 cookery books to her name, says it wouldn't be Christmas without a proper steamed pud.

For first-time pudding makers, Mary says her favourite recipe from her new book is foolproof. "It's very, very simple. If you follow the recipe, it will be perfect," she says.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

(serves 8-10)

75g (3oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

450g (1lb) dried fruit (use a mixture of sultanas, raisins and snipped apricots)

one small cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (about 175g/6oz)

finely grated rind and juice of one orange

50ml (2fl oz) brandy or rum, plus extra for feeding and flaming

100g (4oz) light muscovado sugar

two eggs

100g (4oz) self-raising flour

one level tsp ground mixed spice

40g (11/2oz) white breadcrumbs

40g (11/2oz) whole shelled almonds, roughly chopped

Lightly butter a 1.4-litre (21/2-pint) pudding basin. Cut a small square of foil and press into the base of the basin.

1. Measure the sultanas, raisins, apricots and apple into a bowl with the orange juice. Add the measured brandy or rum and leave to marinate for about one hour.

2. Put the butter, sugar and grated orange rind into a large bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.

3. Sift together the flour and mixed spice, then fold into the creamed mixture with the breadcrumbs and the nuts. Add the dried fruits, apple and liquid and stir well.

4. Spoon into the prepared pudding basin, pressing the mixture down, and level the top with the back of a spoon. Cover the pudding with a layer of greaseproof paper and foil, both pleated across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie securely with string and trim off excess paper and foil with scissors.

5. To steam, put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for about eight hours, topping up the water as necessary. To boil the pudding, put a metal jam-jar lid into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet. Put the pudding on to this and pour in enough boiling water to come one-third of the way up 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.

6. Remove the pudding from the steamer or pan and cool completely. Make holes in the pudding with a fine skewer and pour in a little more brandy or rum to feed. Discard the paper and foil and replace with fresh. Store in a cool, dry place.

7. On Christmas Day, steam or boil the pudding for about an hour to reheat. Turn the pudding on to a serving plate. To flame, warm 3-4 tablespoons brandy or rum in a small pan, pour it over the hot pudding and set light to it.

TIPS

It is quite useful to use a see-through bowl for the pudding as you can then check the colour as it is cooking.

Any leftover Christmas pudding can be wrapped in foil and reheated in a medium oven for about 30 minutes.

Make and cook the pudding 6-8 weeks before Christmas. As it does take a fair time to steam, make things easier for yourself by preparing the pudding up to the end of stage four the day before. Keep the pudding in a cool place overnight, and steam as directed the next day.

Mary Berry's Christmas Collection, by Mary Berry, is published by Headline, priced £20.