A Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING (FIGGY PUDDING)

Steps:

• Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, almonds, and candied citrus peel in a bowl. Pour the brandy over and stir to combine the mixture. Cover and let sit overnight to allow the brandy to fully penetrate the fruit.
• The next day, place the breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.In another bowl add the soaked dried fruit mixture, grated apple, black treacle, suet, lemon and orange zest, and egg. Stir to combine.Add the dry mixture to the fruit mixture and stir to thoroughly combine it. It will be thick and sticky.Generously butter your pudding mold (2 liter/3.5 pints mold) and scoop the batter into the mold, pressing down and smoothing the top.Cut a circle out of parchment paper the same diameter as the top of the pudding mold. Lightly butter the paper and place it, butter side down, on top of the batter. Next tear off two more pieces of parchment paper large enough to cover the to of the pudding mold and partially down the sides of the mold. If your pudding mold is small and the batter comes to the top of it, fold a pleat in the center of the parchment papers to allow room for expansion as the pudding cooks. Trim off excess paper.Secure the paper by folding down the sides and tying securely with a string (to make it easier you can secure it first with a rubber band while you're tying it and then remove the rubber band).Note: If your mold comes with a lid as mine does, I still like to adda layer of parchment paper before securing the lid.Bring a large pot of water to a very low simmer. Place a folded cloth or trivet on the bottom of the pot to prevent the pudding mold from coming in direct contact with the pot in order to prevent scorching.Lower the pudding mold down into the water on top of the folded cloth. The water level should come up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Cover the pot with the lid.Steam the pudding over very low heat for approximately 8 hours. Check periodically to ensure the water level is still at the halfway point and add more water as needed.The longer the pudding steams the darker in color it will become.
• When the pudding is done steaming, carefully lift out the pudding mold and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then invert the pudding on a plate. Let it sit until the pudding slides out onto the plate. Let the pudding cool completely.To store, remove the parchment paper and wrap the pudding with clean parchment paper followed by aluminum foil. Wrap tightly. Store it in a cool, dark place, preferably a basement. If you do not have a cool, dark environment in your home you can keep it in the fridge but make sure it is tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and some aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Follow these same guidelines along with placing the pudding in a ziplock freezer bag to freeze the pudding. When you're ready to serve the pudding you will need to reheat it either by re-steaming it for 30-60 minutes or until heated through or you can also microwave it in a microwave safe container to keep the moisture in.You can light the pudding on fire just before serving (see blog post section on how to light a pudding) and then serve with Hard Sauce (i.e., brandy butter) or powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla custard, ice cream, or lemon sauce.

HISTORICAL RECIPE: CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in raisins, carrot, potato and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda.
• Grease 2 small glass bowls or one large bowl. Fill with pudding. Leave about an inch between the top of the pudding and the top of the bowl to give it room to rise.
• Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment, followed by a piece of tin foil, secured with string. My grandmother used a clean piece of muslin instead of the parchment.
• The pudding can be steamed in a double boiler, or you can place the pudding in a large pot, placing the pudding bowl on a small ramekin or mason jar ring to keep it off the bottom of the pot. Pour water in the bottom to no more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowl.
• Steam the pudding for 2 - 3 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My small puddings are usually done at 2 hours, with a large pudding taking the full three. Add additional hot water to your pot as necessary to keep your pot from boiling dry.
• Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve hot with brown sugar sauce.
• Brown Sugar Sauce Instructions
• Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar and continue to stir constantly until boiling. Boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in milk and vanilla. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture once again comes to the boil. Thin with more milk or cream if necessary. Serve warm.

A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Begin the day before you want to steam the pudding. Take your largest, roomiest mixing bowl and start by putting in the suet and breadcrumbs, spices and sugar. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly together, then gradually mix in all the dried fruit, peel and nuts followed by the apple and the grated orange and lemon zests. Don't forget to tick everything off as you go to make sure nothing gets left out. Next in a smaller basin, measure out the rum, barley wine and stout, then add the eggs and beat these thoroughly together. Next pour this over all the other ingredients and begin to mix very thoroughly. It's now traditional to gather all the family round, especially the children, and invite everyone to have a really good stir and make a wish! The mixture should have a fairly sloppy consistency - that is, it should fall instantly from the spoon when this is tapped on the side of the bowl. If you think it needs a bit more liquid add a spot more stout. Cover the bowl and leave overnight. Next day stir in the sifted flour quite thoroughly, then pack the mixture into the lightly greased basin, cover it with a double layer of baking parchment and a sheet of foil and tie it securely with string (you really need to borrow someone's finger for this!). It's also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle. Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan filled with simmering water and steam the pudding for 8 hours. Do make sure you keep a regular eye on the water underneath and top it up with boiling water straight from the kettle about halfway through the time. When the pudding is steamed, let it get quite cold, then remove the baking parchment and foil and replace them with some fresh ones, again making a string handle for easy manoeuvring. Now your Christmas pudding is ready for Christmas Day. Keep it in a cool place away from the light. Under the bed in an unheated bedroom is an ideal place. On Christmas Day: Fill a saucepan quite full with boiling water, put it on the heat and, when it comes back to the boil, place a steamer on top of the pan and turn it down to a gentle simmer. Put the Christmas Pudding in the steamer cover and leave to steam for 2hrs 15 mins. You'll need to check the water from time to time and maybe top it up a bit. When you are ready to serve the pudding, remove from the steamer and take off the wrapping. Slide a palette knife all around the pudding and turn it out on to a warmed plate. Place a suitably sized sprig of holly on top. Now warm a ladleful of brandy over direct heat and, as soon as the brandy is hot, turn out the flame and ask someone to set light to the brandy using a long match. Place the ladle, now gently flaming, on top of the pudding - but don't pour it over until you reach the table (if you don't have a gas hob, warm the brandy in a small saucepan). When you do, pour it slowly over the pudding, sides and all and watch it flame to the cheers of the assembled company! When both flames and cheers have died down, serve the pudding with Christmas Rum Sauce, Cumberland Rum Butter or Brown Sugar Brandy Butter - see below. If you have any left over, it will reheat beautifully, wrapped in foil, in the oven next day. If you want two smaller puddings, use two 570ml basins, but give them the same steaming time. If you want to make individual Christmas puddings for gifts, this quantity makes eight 175ml pudding basins. Steam for 3 hours, then resteam for 1 hour before serving. They look pretty wrapped in baking parchment and muslin and tied with attractive bows and tags. To make this recipe gluten-free: Replace the suet with either gluten-free or gluten-free vegetarian suet. Use gluten-free white flour and breadcrumbs made from gluten-free bread, and replace the stout and barley wine with the same amount of sherry. If you are using gluten-free flour, you will need to add a pinch of baking powder to the gluten-free white flour.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• DAY 1 -- Take your largest, roomiest mixing bowl and start by putting in the suet, sifted flour, breadcrumbs, spices and sugar. Mix these ingredients thoroughly after each addition.
• Gradually mix in all the dried fruits, mixed peel, nuts, apple, and both zests, again, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs, then add the stout and rum and beat together. Pour this over the ingredients in the large bowl and begin to mix very thoroughly. It was traditional to gather all the family around, especially the children, and invite everyone to have a really good stir and make a wish!
• The mixture should have a fairly sloppy consistency - it should fall instantly from the spoon when tapped on the side of the bowl. If you think it needs more liquid, add a spot more stout or rum. Cover the bowl and leave overnight in a cool place (not the fridge).
• DAY 2 -- Pack the mixture into the lightly greased basin, cover it with a double sheet of greaseproof paper and a sheet of foil and tie it securely with string. It's also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle.
• Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 8 hours. Do make sure you keep an eye on the water underneath and top of with boiling water from the kettle from time to time.
• When the pudding is done steaming, let it get quite cold, then remove the steam papers and foil and replace with some fresh ones, again making a handle.
• Store in a cool place until Christmas Day.
• CHRISTMAS DAY -- Steam again in the same manner as above, again checking the water level, for 2 1/2 hours.
• Serve warm with a whipped cream or rum sauce.