Free from: dairy, wheat, gluten and soya; can be egg and nut free; no added sugar

Ingredients
Dry ingredients
100g/3½oz raisins
100g/3½oz currants
50g/2oz sultanas
50g/2oz prunes, chopped
50g/2oz apricots or figs, chopped
25g/¾oz fresh or dried mixed peel
50g/2oz flaked almonds or, if you cannot eat nuts, sunflower seeds
150g/5oz fresh pear, puréed in a food processor, with the skin on
1 level teaspoon each of ground ginger and cinnamon
½ level teaspoon ground mace
25g/1oz vegetable or meat suet
Wet ingredients
2 eggs OR if you cannot eat eggs, 2 heaped tsp of wheat-free and gluten-free baking powder
150ml/5fl oz of apple or pear juice OR 100ml/3½oz apple or pear juice and 50ml/2fl oz brandy
For the flour
100g/3½oz gluten-free and wheat-free flour OR 50g/2oz each of gram flour and 50g/2oz of rice flour
Method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Beat the eggs (if you are using them) with the juice and brandy if you are using it and stir it into the dry mixture.
3. Sieve the flours together with the baking powder (if you are using it instead of the eggs).
4. Fold the flour very thoroughly into the fruit.
5. Spoon the mixture into a pudding basin, cover with doubled greaseproof paper and tie with a string or rubber bands.
6. Put the basin in a deep pan, pour in water to halfway up the bowl, cover the pan tightly and simmer for 4-5 hours, checking the water level periodically.
7. Remove basin from the pot, discard the greaseproof paper and cover it with new. Allow to cool, then store in a cool larder.
8. To serve, re-steam for 1-2 hours or reheat in a microwave for 3-5 minutes.