Vegan Christmas Pudding

“Oh!  The marvellous pudding!” wrote Charles Dickens all those years ago in ‘A Christmas Carol’ and we echo his sentiment.  Is there anything more festive, or indeed more delicious, than a Christmas pudding fresh from the oven?  Between the spicy, warming smells and the moist, distinctive taste, nothing says Christmas better than a perfect pudding.

Here at Le Pain Quotidien, we believe that the festivities should be enjoyed by everyone – and that includes vegans.  So we have created a very special, very LPQ Vegan Christmas pudding, for you to enjoy no matter what your eating habits or preferences may be. 

After all, a vegan is for life, not just for Christmas.    

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients and combine together.
3. In a separate bowl, add soya milk, orange juice and cognac.
4. Pour liquid mix into dry mix and combine well with a spatula.
5. Let stand for five minutes.
6. Prepare your moulds.  You can use either normal sponge moulds, or be a bit creative and use our very own LPQ espresso cups.  Whatever you decide to use, brush it with oil to grease.
7. Fill up moulds with 100g of mixture in each section.
8. Create a bain marie by adding some water to a baking tray.
9. Place the moulds inside the water-filled tray and cover with parchment paper.
10. Cover the entire tray with foil.
11. Bake for 30 minutes.
12. When ready, remove from tray and allow to cool slightly.

Serve warm with lashings of soya yoghurt, a dusting of icing sugar and a mint leaf for good measure.

Did you add a personal twist to this recipe or do you have your own Christmas vegan specialty? Share in the comments section below!