Festive Ice cream Plum Pudding

This ice cream pudding is easy to make. The quality of the ice cream is key to making this pudding taste its best.  It can serve 16.  It is best to complete the first part and leave overnight but it can be done over a few hours as suggested. The mixed glazed cherries give colour to the pudding, but you can choose to use red glazed cherries if you prefer.
Any unused portions were put back in the freezer covered with foil/plastic wrap.

When we used to make it, I used to go out and pick some holly from the bush. Other years, we used different decorations.  The Pudding has about 756 calories per serve.

Sometimes, instead of making one pudding, we would make it in small dishes that were suited for the freezer. It served 16 dishes- and had the advantage of  being able to use as required.

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 cups mixed fruit.

60mls  brandy.    See below for variations.

100g toasted almonds chopped.
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of mixed spice.
2 litres low fat ice cream. ( softened).
NB: You can used full cream ice cream also if you prefer. The softer the ice cream is the easier it is to complete the pudding.
1 packet of mixed glazed cherries chopped.

METHOD

1. Place mixed fruit in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour brandy over fruit and leave covered for a few hours. Ideally leave this overnight.

Next day or in a few hours time:

1. Add almonds and mixed spice.
2. Fold together with softened ice cream.
3.Line a 6 to 8 cup pudding basin with plastic wrap. Leave some hanging over so that it will easier to lift out.
4. Spoon in mixture.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

When you are ready to serve:
1. Lift off the plastic wrap and then lift the pudding out and put on presentation plate.
2. Leave out so that it is easier to cut but not too soft or melted.
3.Decorate in any way you wish.



Variations:
Replace almonds with preferred nuts such as pecans, walnuts, macadamias.

Replace Brandy with Rum, Liquer of your liking such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Malibu or Drambuie.