Christmas Pudding – Xmas Pudding Recipe

In the UK, Christmas pudding is a unique dessert that’s traditionally served over the festive period.

Its origins date all the way back to the 14th century when Christmas pudding or ‘frumenty’ was eaten as a savory dish with beef and mutton.

Today, it’s a sweet dish filled with dried fruit, aromatic spices, and rich brandy or beer.

Use this traditional Christmas pudding recipe to make a festive dessert that’s bursting with deep, hearty flavors. Take note: this dish is prepared and cooked over two days.

Ingredients

1. 200g (7oz.) currants
2. 200g (7oz.) sultanas
3. 200g (7oz.) raisins (chopped)
4. 100g (3½ oz.) mixed peel (candied orange and lemon rind)
5. 200g (7oz.) breadcrumbs
6. 200g (7oz.) demerara sugar
7. 200g (7oz.) shredded suet
8. 1 lemon (rind and juice only)
9. 100g (3½ oz.) almonds
10. 200g (7oz.) plain flour
11. ¼ teaspoon of salt
12. 1 teaspoon of dried nutmeg
13. 1 teaspoon of dried cinnamon
14. 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
15. 3 eggs
16. 27ml (1/2 pint) of flat beer or stout

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the currants, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel.
2. Add the shredded suet, grated lemon rind (without juice), and sugar. Stir until thoroughly mixed together.
3. Remove the skin from the almonds by blanching. Pour boiling water directly on top of the almonds and set aside for 2-3 mins. After, the skins should slip off easily. Chop and add to the fruit mixture.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice and flour. Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl. Add the lemon juice and flat beer.
5. Combine the flour-egg mixture with the fruits and other ingredients in the other bowl. Set aside. Leave overnight.
6. Grease a 1.4 liter (2½ pint) pudding tin or basin with butter. Spoon in the pudding mixture but only until three-quarters full.
7. Place a piece of grease-proof paper over the open side of the basin. Using string, tie the paper onto the basin, making sure to seal the sides. Create a tight seal but leave some room underneath for the pudding to rise into. If you struggle, add a piece of tinfoil to create a tighter seal.
8. Boil a large pan of water. As it starts to warm, place an upturned, heatproof saucer on the bottom. This will prevent your pudding basin from cracking while cooking.
9. Place the basin in the pan, taking care to balance it on the saucer. The water should reach halfway up the sides of the basin. It should not reach high enough to wet the paper lid.
10. If you’re making one large pudding, steam on a low heat for up to 8 hours. If making two smaller puddings, steam for up to 6 hours.
11. During the first 30 mins, do not open the basin lid. This can cause the pudding to collapse. After this, check the pudding periodically by inserting a knife. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready. Don’t forget to top up the water as the pudding steams.
12. When cooked, set aside to cool.
13. Store in a cool, dry area until ready to eat. Place back in a makeshift steamer (follow the same cooking process) and reheat for up to two hours.
14. Serve with brandy butter for an authentic Christmas experience.

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Conclusion

Christmas pudding is an all-time favorite for Xmas celebrations. I have shared the authentic recipe which I use every year.

In fact, my family like this pudding at any time. I have given all the steps in full details and if you still have any issues in cooking this, then you can ask me in the comments section.

Word Cloud for Christmas Pudding

The following is a collection of the most used terms in this article on Christmas Pudding. This should help in recalling related terms as used in this article at a later stage for you.

References

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmas_pudding_41498
2. https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-christmas-pudding-recipe-435070
3. https://www.christinascucina.com/traditional-british-christmas-pudding-make-ahead-fruit-brandy-filled-steamed-dessert/