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Desserts

Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is the dark steamed pudding of dried fruit, suet and spices made weeks ahead, then flamed with brandy on Christmas Day.
Recipe Christmas Pudding
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 40 minutes
  • Cooking 8 hours
  • Servings for 8 people

Christmas pudding, also called plum pudding, closes Christmas dinner in Britain and Ireland: a dark, moist dome of dried fruit, suet, breadcrumbs, brown sugar and spices, steamed for hours in a basin and carried to the table wrapped in blue brandy flames.

Tradition has it made on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent, when everyone in the family takes a turn to stir the mixture and make a wish. It then matures for weeks in a cool cupboard, and on the day it only needs a second steaming. The plums of the old name were raisins and other dried fruit.

It is served with brandy butter, brandy sauce, custard or cream, and the leftovers are good fried in butter the next day.

Ingredients for 8 people

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Method

  1. The day before steaming, put the suet, breadcrumbs, mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and dark brown sugar in a large bowl and mix them together well.
  2. Add the sultanas, raisins, currants, chopped peel and almonds, then the apple, cored and finely chopped (there is no need to peel it), and the grated orange and lemon zest. Stir until the fruit is evenly coated.
  3. In a jug, mix the brandy with the stout, then beat in the eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly. It should be loose enough to fall from the spoon with a sharp tap; if it feels stiff, loosen it with a little more stout. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.
  4. The next day, stir in the sifted self-raising flour. Grease a 1.2 liter (5 cup) pudding basin with butter and pack in the mixture, pressing it down with the back of a spoon. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment and then a sheet of foil, both pleated across the middle so the pudding can rise, tie tightly under the rim with string and add a string handle across the top for lifting.
  5. Set the basin in a steamer over a pan of simmering water, or on an upturned saucer in a large pan with boiling water halfway up its sides, cover with a lid and steam for 8 hours. Check the water level every hour or so and top it up with boiling water from the kettle, so the pan never boils dry.
  6. Lift out the pudding and let it cool completely. Remove the damp paper and foil, cover with fresh parchment and foil, tie again and store in a cool, dark, dry place until Christmas.
  7. On Christmas Day, steam the pudding again for 2 hours. Unwrap it, run a palette knife around the inside of the basin and turn the pudding out onto a warm plate.
  8. To flame it, warm the brandy for serving in a small pan until just hot, take it off the heat and light it carefully with a long match. Pour the flaming brandy slowly over the pudding at the table and serve when the flames have died down. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

Traditional recipes vary the liquid: part of the stout can be barley wine, and many cooks use rum or Irish whiskey instead of brandy. For two smaller puddings, divide the mixture between two 570 ml (2 1/2 cup) basins and steam them for the same time. A silver coin wrapped in parchment was once hidden in the mixture for luck: if you keep the custom, warn everyone before serving.

Tips

Keep the water at a gentle simmer and never let the pan boil dry: set a timer to check it every hour. A pudding made ahead has a deeper flavor, so make it at least 4 weeks before Christmas. When flaming, remove any holly first, keep hair and sleeves well away and never pour brandy from the bottle near a flame. If you cannot find beef suet, use the same weight of vegetable suet, which makes the pudding meat-free.

Storage

Wrapped in fresh parchment and foil, the steamed pudding keeps in a cool, dark, dry place for up to a year. Leftovers keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 1 week and can be reheated in slices in the microwave or fried in butter.

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