Australian Christmas Pudding

4 Eggs, separated

1/2 cup Icing Sugar

2 tbspns Cocoa

2 tspns Gelatine

1 tbspn hot Water

2 oz dark chocolate

1/4 cup brandy

8 oz Glace Fruit

2 oz Glace Cherries

1/4 cup Sultanas

45g Honeycomb bar

1 cup Cream

3 oz white Chocolate

1&1/2 oz Almonds

1/2 oz Copha

Method: Finely chop glace mixed fruit and cherries. Place in a bowl, add sultanas, pour over brandy, cover and leave to stand overnight. Beat egg whites till firm, gradually beat in combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa. Gradually beat in lightly beaten egg yolks. Place chopped dark chocolate into top of double saucepan and stand over simmering water till chocolate has melted. Allow chocolate to cool a little then beat into egg mixture. Pour chocolate mixture over fruit and mix well. Stir in chopped almonds, chopped honeycomb. Sprinkle gelatin over hot water and stir till dissolved. Stir gelatin into chocolate mixture. Beat cream till firm and fold into chocolate mixture. Line 1&1/4 litre (5 cup) pudding basin smoothly with plastic food wrap. Pour mixture into basin, smooth over top, cover and place in freezer overnight. To serve: place chilled serving plate over top of pudding, invert, remove basin and peel away foodwrap. Return to freezer. Place chopped white chocolate and copha in double saucepan over hot water till chocolate has melted. Allow to cool and spoon gently over top of pudding. Return to freezer immediately - use a warm knife to cut through pudding if white chocolate is hard to cut neatly.

A pleasant change from the usual hot Christmas Pudding.

Source: Oodnadatta Cookbook (Oodnadatta: 1986), p.119.