300g pitted prunes, chopped
250g pitted dates, chopped
250g raisins
250g sultanas
200g currants
½ cup bourbon
¼ cup Chelsea Treacle
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Melted butter, to grease
1 cup firmly packed Chelsea Dark Cane Sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
200g butter, grated
¾ cup plain flour
1/3 cup self-raising flour
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
¾ cup pecan pieces, roughly chopped
Custard, to serve

STEP 1 Put dried fruit, bourbon, treacle and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

STEP 2 Grease an 8-cup capacity pudding basin with butter, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Grease again, then line base with a disc of baking paper.

STEP 3 Add sugar, egg and butter to fruit mixture, then stir with a large metal spoon until combined. Sift plain flour, self-raising flour, cinnamon and allspice over fruit mixture. Add breadcrumbs and pecan. Combine.

STEP 4 Spoon mixture into prepared basin and smooth top with the back of a wet spoon. Cover pudding with a disc of baking paper. Put a 35cm-long piece of baking paper on a flat surface. Top with a 35cm-long piece of foil. Form a pleat down the length of paper and foil. Lay over pudding basin, paper-side down, then secure with kitchen twine under basin rim. Trim excess paper and foil.

STEP 5 Put a trivet or upside-down saucer in a large saucepan. Put basin on trivet and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up side of basin. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3½-4 hours or until pudding is cooked through when tested in the centre with a skewer. Check water level hourly, topping up if required.

STEP 6 Carefully lift pudding out of pan and stand for 10 minutes to cool. Remove foil and paper. Turn out onto a serving plate. Decorate and serve with custard.