Let’s Make Christmas (Pudding)

I am heading down (or is it up?) to London on Friday for the ‘Let’s Make Christmas’ Blogger Gift Swap at Fortnum and Mason arranged by Vanessa Kimbell.

Each year my Mum used to take me Christmas shopping in London on the train. We finished the day at the theatre watching something like West Side Story or Singing in the Rain. It will be nice to wander around our old festive haunts like Liberty of London and of course Fortnum and Mason.

It was Ed that suggested Christmas Pudding would be a good thing to offer as a gift, because it is easily portable and can happily sit around until Christmas instead of being devoured in November. I had also written in my post ‘List for Christmas Future’ that we only needed one of the two that the recipe made, so I should getting into the Christmas spirit by giving one away.

I do worry that it may not quite fit into the category of ‘baking’ though – because it is steamed.

Hey ho! It will still make a nice gift for someone and I have one to keep for our Christmas Day.

I am gradually coming round to all the Christmassy stuff that I hated as a kid, because I am doing it my way. I now have a version of mince pies that I am happy with. The only big thing left to conquer is Christmas Cake.

Maybe next year, eh?

This recipe started off as Domestic Jules’ Whisky Pudding then was developed to take into account my hate of candied peel and pippy raisins or currants. I can’t help feeling there must be other people out there with the same dislikes, if there is…this is the pudding you have been looking for:

‘No peel, No pip, a-little-bit-cherry-and-chocolatey Christmas pudding’. 

Printable Recipe

The Fruity Bit:

• 300g Sultanas
• 100g Glace Cherries
• 100g Soft Prunes
• 100g Dates
• The zest of an Orange
• The zest of a Lemon
• 1 Grated Bramley Apple
• 2 tsp Glace Ginger
• 250ml Whisky

The Other Stuff:

• 90g Muscovado Sugar (+ 2 tblsp for the bowl)
• 50g Self Raising Flour
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Mixed Spice
• ‘Some’ Grated Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 100g Breadcrumbs
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 100g Cold Grated Butter
• A Few Slugs of Brandy

Stir the Fruity Bit together in a large bowl and let it mingle and smell delicious for 24 hours.

Stir in the Other Stuff.

That’s it! Your Christmas Pudding is made.

Isn’t that fabulous? There’s the small task of steaming it…but that’s the basic mix.

I have decided on a new regime for mine that I steam it at Halloween then let it mature until Christmas, but there is no absolute need to do this, it will be fine if you make it later.

To Steam

Smear butter into a 2pt/lb pudding basin, or as I prefer 2 x 1pt/lb bowls.

Sprinkle the buttery surface with the 2tbsp of muscovado sugar.

Add the pudding mixture.

Cover with a layer of greaseproof paper with a piece of foil on top, tied on with string and with a pleat across the middle for expansion.

Sit it/them in a steamer (or a large pan with an upturned saucer in the bottom) so that the water comes half way up the bowl.

Let them simmer for 5 hours for a 2 x 1lb or 6 hours for 1 x 2lb puddings.

When cool removed the paper and foil and re-cover with a fresh layer of foil.

{SLOW COOKER OPTION}  Place one filled, lidded bowl of pudding in a slow cooker (make sure the lid closes completely) and fill with a boiled kettle to an inch from the top. Steam on high for 10 hours (8 hours for 1pt puds) checking the water level from time to time. You can re-slow cooker on Christmas day to reheat on low for about 8 hours, high for 4 hours, (7hrs or 3hrs for 1pt puds) or until piping hot.

On Christmas (or any other random ‘Pudding Required’) Day

Either steam for an hour (yeh right) or microwave for 10 minutes or so on medium.

To flame, warm a cupful of brandy in a pan, then into a warm ladle, touch with a match, switch the lights off and pour.

Serve with brandy butter and cream.

Here is my Brandy Butter Post from last year with festive photos.

PS – I am also entering the preserves category too with a selection pack of Damson Jam, Pretty Pear Jelly and Green Tomato Chutney, but I have blogged them already and they are happily maturing in the jars, so all you get is a photo.

See you on Friday Gift Swappers!