Prue Leith's Fun Take On Christmas Pudding Will Win Over All The Haters

At holiday gatherings, there are plenty of sweets that make their way out of the woodwork; everything from a French buche de Noel to Christmas cakes like a Yule log or simple, classic pies. One unique holiday dessert from around the world you might also feature on your table is Christmas pudding, a traditional British dessert made of steamed sponge cake packed with fruit. It's dense and filled with warming spices that ramp up the holiday feel and, in some cases, are served with brandy custard or cream. Pudding is a term that, in the United Kingdom, is often used to refer to desserts; in this case, it's a sort of cake filled with cozy Christmas flavors.

Now, as delicious as that is, you may find you've got plates of it sitting around once the Christmas festivities are over. If that's the case, Prue Leith, chef and cookbook author who wrote "Life's Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom," offers up a suggestion on her Instagram page, "About forty years ago, I started using the leftover Christmas cake or a lump of Christmas pudding in a dessert made mostly of vanilla ice cream."

She uses the leftovers from the dessert to make a tasty ice cream cake that mutes the strong, spicy flavors of a sticky Christmas pudding but still offers enough of the flavor from the original dessert to make it a treat fit for all tastes.

The secret to Prue Leith's Christmas cake ice cream lies in its simplicity. It calls only for three simple ingredients and doesn't need much prep work. All you'll need is a dash of brandy, your leftover Christmas pudding, and some vanilla ice cream. Then, the whole thing is frozen in a baking tin and served to guests.

If you don't have any leftover Christmas pudding, Leith says she likes to use the fruit filling for traditional British mincemeat pies. For those who don't live on the other side of the pond, you could also swap in a classic fruit cake that also has spicy, sticky flavors. Or, try using a mulled wine cake for other rich, spicy flavors.

Beyond the pudding itself, you'll also need some vanilla ice cream. You can opt to make homemade ice cream, or you could experiment with other flavors to add your own flair to the cake. Combine everything in a bowl with a few tablespoons of brandy to bring out that holiday flavor and you're ready to go! You could even add a spiced brandy or throw in extra ginger, nutmeg, or warming spices to ramp up the holiday taste.

If you love the idea of making Prue Leith's twist on a Christmas "pud," there are a couple of tips you can use to help you out along the way. She encourages bakers to line their vessel with cling wrap, adding that it's key to "leave plenty of overhang so you can wrap the contents fully," as it helps get the dessert out of the pan with ease.

Another tip Leith offers is to mix with a soft ice cream scoop. Doing so helps avoid the need to thaw and re-freeze your ice cream. Finally, if you love the way a traditional Christmas pudding is set ablaze with brandy, you don't have to forego that tradition with the ice cream version. Just warm some brandy in a saucepan, set it alight, and pour it over the ice cream for a similar flaming effect.

This holiday season, give Prue Leith's twist on Christmas pudding a whirl and delight the whole family. If it's anything like hers, the family will be asking for it for years to come.