DELIA Smith's number one fan, Alice Jessiman, is hoping to spice up this year's Christmas festivities by cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

For Alice, 90, of Pembroke Court, in Back Duckworth Street, Darwen, is hoping her collection of rolling pins and mixing bowls will be enough to bring in extra cash for Pembroke residents after setting up her own mini production line in Christmas puddings.

With just 88 days to go until the centre's annual Christmas fair, where the delicacies will be sold, the granny has already set about making up to 200 of the traditional tasty treats -- about 100 individual ones, about 50 1lb-sized ones and about another 20 family sized ones.

All the money raised from her efforts will go towards paying for a variety of outings for Pembroke residents throughout next year.

Helped by her daughter, Susan Hampson, Alice, is now planning to spend the next month slaving over a hot steamer as she perfects her stolen recipe.

For Alice, who will be 91 next month, said her talents are all down to star chef Delia Smith's cooking know-how after stumbling across her complete cookery course book about eight years ago.

And she puts the success of the designer puddings down to top class ingredients, which after they have been bought can take up to one month to make a batch of 50 small puddings.

Alice said: "Delia Smith's book is a course of learning in plain speaking English. It's like a bible to me. I've been making these puddings for years but now I'm knocking on a bit Susan's helping me so she's got her work cut out for her as well.

"It was Susan's idea to make them for the Christmas fair and I've decided to make big ones and little ones because lots of the old ladies who live on their own go for the small ones."

Susan said: "She was well-known for baking in her previous town. She learned a lot of her tricks from her mother. In the olden days people used to hand their recipes down and they were prized items which everybody wanted to know what was in them.

"But mum stumbled across Delia and found her recipe for Christmas puddings was very very good. Now she makes Delia's original ones with nuts and ones without for people who have allergies.

"I think Delia would be very impressed to know that someone as old as my mum is using her recipe book. She's her number one fan. If there's anything on television with Delia on she will go and watch it and copy what she does. She thinks she's a really good teacher.

"My mum's puddings are absolutely beautiful and all home-made with top class ingredients with a lot of care and love. It's really fantastic how she does it all. She grinds all the nutmeg herself and grates the breadcrumbs.

"It's several days of shear love for every single pudding that is done and she's meticulously clean to go with it.

"It's all very nice and it's like a mini pudding factory at my house but they're quite unique and nothing like you'd get in the shops. We were wondering whether we should put those silver three penny bits in them like they used to on days gone by but I suppose these days children would be wanting pound coins."