BAKED FRUIT PUDDING

Pre-heat the oven to 180/Gas4
Chop the dried figs and soak in the orange juice for about 15 minutes
Trim the crusts off 4-5 bread slices, halve them, then cut off the top with a round cutter to form curved-ended wedges
Arrange the wedges in the base of a generously buttered pudding basin and press down
Trim the crusts from the rest of the bread slices and use to line the side of the basin, overlapping the slices to ensure there are no gaps in the bread layer; brush the bread with the melted butter
Peel, core and roughly chop the apples and cook with the pears and the figs with the juice, in the sugar until tender; add the peaches, plums, raisins, stem ginger, orange rind, cinnamon and mixed spices and cook for another 5 minutes; place the fruit in the mould
Butter about 6 more bread triangles on one side and place on top of the fruit, buttered-side down; brush with more butter and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until golden; unmould and serve