Doesn’t time fly? Halloween is over and it is time to think ahead for the next big festival – and you all know what that one is. For me, it always begins with auntie Maureen’s plum pudding. I know many of you have made this already and have kept the recipe, but I am always being asked for it so here it is again.

I cannot imagine Christmas without auntie Maureen’s plum pudding. So set aside some time at the weekend and you will be very glad you did come the Christmas rush. It will taste so much better if you make it now and it will be one less job to do later.

As I always say, get the best quality fruit you can find. It makes a difference. We get ours from Peter Ward in Nenagh. And spare a thought for Claire Beasley and the team at the restaurant who have been getting our Christmas hampers ready and have already made several hundred plum puddings with this recipe.

I like it served hot on Christmas day and cold later, but with almond-spiked custard. This is an old-fashioned recipe that seems to have been forgotten about. If you are nervous about the custard curdling, you could make this in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, but I don’t normally bother. It will keep happily in the fridge for two to three days.

Happy cooking.

Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, with 300 life-saving recipes for super busy parents, is out now, published by Gill Books.

Auntie Maureen’s Plum Pudding

Makes 2 x 1.2-litre (2-pint) puddings

50g (2oz) plain flour

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

175g (6oz) butter, melted, extra for greasing

175g (6oz) light brown sugar

175g (6oz) raisins

50g (2oz) currants

225g (8oz) sultanas

50g (2oz) candied mixed peel

50g (2oz) blanched almonds, chopped

1/2 apple, peeled, cored and diced

½ small carrot, grated

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

300ml (1/2 pint) stout

Almond-spiked custard, to serve (see separate recipe)

1 Sift together the flour, mixed spice, nutmeg and cloves. Add the breadcrumbs, melted butter, sugar, raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel, almonds, apple, carrot, lemon rind, lemon juice and mix until well combined.

2 Gradually add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly followed by the stout. Mix everything thoroughly and cover with a clean tea towel, then leave in a cool place overnight.

3 Grease 2 x 1.2-litre (2-pint) pudding bowls and fill with the fruit mixture. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and tin foil, then tie tightly under the rim with string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.

4 To cook, preheat an oven to 1500C (3000F/gas mark two) and stand each pudding basin in a large cake tin three-quarters full of boiling water and put on a baking sheet. Place in the oven to cook for six to eight hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary (or you can steam for six hours in the usual way). Allow the puddings to cool, recover with clean greaseproof paper. Again, store in a cool, dry place.

5 On Christmas Day, re-cover with new greaseproof paper and foil. Steam for two to three hours until completely cooked through and tender. Cut the plum pudding into slices and arrange on plates. Serve with lashings of spiked almond custard.

Spiked almond custard

Makes about 400ml (14fl oz)

5 egg yolks

3 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out

300ml (1/2 pint) milk

300ml (1/2 pint) cream

50g (2oz) ground almonds

About 1 tbsp brandy

About 1 tbsp dark rum

1 Place the egg yolks in a large bowl with the sugar and vanilla seeds. Whisk with an electric mixer for a few minutes, until pale and thickened.

2 Place the milk and cream in a medium pan with the almonds and vanilla pod and bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain into a jug and discard the almonds and vanilla pod.

3 Gradually whisk the heated milk and cream into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then pour back into the pan with the brandy and rum and place over a gentle heat. Cook gently for six to eight minutes on a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon. Serve hot or transfer to a large bowl. Press a sheet of clingfilm directly on to the surface of the custard to help prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool and then chill until needed. It can also be put into a squeezy bottle, depending on how you want to use it. Use warm or cold as required.