Now’s the time to make your Christmas puddings and get them maturing in time for Christmas Day. Get your kids involved and revive the ancient custom of stiring the good luck into the pudding – every member of the family can have a go.
The traditional Stir-up Sunday is the third in November. This year that’s Sunday, November 22.
The other custom you can revive is wrapping coins in greaseproof paper and hiding them in the pudding – it used to be sixpences when I was a child – I reckon £1 coins (or national equivalents) would do it now.
There are hundreds of recipes out there and if you have a favourite, please email us with it or post in the comments below. In the meantime, this is a great recipe.
No-sugar, no-flour Christmas pudding
This recipe from Josceline Dimbleby’s 1987 Christmas Book published by Sainsbury’s, is a real treat. No flour and no sugar make it a much lighter alternative after a rich Christmas dinner but authentically Christmassy tasting. Make it up to 3 months ahead of Christmas.
Ingredients (makes 1x 2pt and 1x 1pt puddings)
75g / 3oz glace cherries
175g / 6oz candied peel
375g / 12oz seedless raisins
175g / 6oz sultanas
175g / 6oz currants
75g / 3oz flaked almonds
250g / 8oz white breadcrumbs
250g / 8os shredded suet (vegetarian is fine)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
6 eggs
150ml stout (Guinness is perfect)
3 tablespoons brandy, rum or whisky
Make
- Generously butter 1 x 2pt (1.1 ltr) and 1x 1pt (600 ml) pudding basins.
- Chop glace cherries and mix with rest of dried fruit, almonds, breadcrumbs, suet and spices in large bowl. Mix well.
- Whisk eggs until frothy and thickened. Sir into dried ingredients.
- Stir in stout and spirits so that mixture just ‘drops’ from spoon.
- Spoon into the two basins, and smooth tops (now’s the time to hide the coins!).
- Cover each basin with double layer of well buttered foil and tie tightly with string, making a handle to be able to lift the basin from the steamer.
- Put basins in steamer or on racks or an inverted saucer in a regular saucepan.
- Cover pans and steam for 6 hours for larger pudding and 4-5 hours for smaller pudding.
- NOTE: check regularly to top up the water. DO NOT let it boil dry.
- When puddings are cold, store for 2-3 months.
- On Christmas Day replace the foil with fresh buttered foil, tie tightly with strong and handle as before and steam for 1 hour.
- Serve with Brandy butter, fresh whipped cream or a rich rum flavoured white sauce. Oh, yum!
Got what you need to make your own Christmas puddings?
Pudding basins, steamers, good old fashioned mixing bowls and wooden spoons? If you haven’t got the tools, Lakeland is a really great place to start looking.
» If you’ve not been to their online store, you’re in for a treat
» Back to our main Christmas article
Posted by nic@nipitinthebud (unregistered) on November 22, 2009 at 11:01am
This recipe looks delicious and how lucky for me that I found Mend it Make it today - on Stir-up Sunday. I'm off to get my ingredients and get stirring (and am about to post a link on my blog)