Proper Christmas Pudding!

Christmas Pudding. Ah, that beloved dessert that embodies the very essence of being English at Christmas...so rich, so decadent, so time-consuming, and so potentially awful if not done properly! I knew my Christmas experience in England would not be complete unless I attempted to make this traditional and quintessential English dessert, and so, in the face of potentially ruining Christmas with an improper pudding, I offered to make the Christmas Pudding that we would eat at Alun's.

Let me introduce the process of making a Christmas pudding with a few pros and cons:

Pro: you can make this well in advance, even up to three weeks before Christmas, as it contains so much brandy that it is self-preserving, leaving you lots of time to do last minute shopping the week of Christmas

Con: to make a proper Christmas Pudding takes time; set aside a full day to make this

Pro: with all the dried fruit and brandy, it can be very delicious!

Con: with all the dried fruit and brandy, it can be very awful.

Christmas Pudding has acquired a bit of a bad reputation which I think is mostly due to the mass quantities of commercialized Christmas puddings on the market. Like most traditional, classic baked goods, if it is done right, with quality ingredients, not rushed, and with much love, it will come out beautiful! So do not be afraid to try this out, for there is good reason why this is such a long enduring Christmas classic: done properly, it is sinfully delicious!!!! This one turned out perfect!

Proper English Christmas Pudding

This is my slightly modified version from Delia:

4 oz. Breadcrumbs

4 oz. Shredded Beef Suet (Atorra)

2 oz. Self-rising Flour

8 oz. Brown Sugar

1/4 tsp. + pinch Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cloves

1/4 tsp. Ginger

4 oz. Raisins

4 oz. Sultana, Golden Raisins

4 oz. Dried Apricots

4 oz. Dried Cranberries

2 oz. Mixed Peel

2 Tbsp. Brandy or Rum

1 apple, peeled, cored, diced

Lemon Zest from one lemon

Orange Zest from one orange

2 Eggs

5 oz. Stout

1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

Begin by combining all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (breadcrumbs, suet, flour, sugar, spices). In a side bowl, combine all the dried fruit with the brandy (plus some if you'd like it to be boozy) and let soak. Whisk together the eggs, stout, and vanilla. Combine the apples, zest, soaked dried fruit and remaining brandy with the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Pour the egg and stout mixture into the large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl and let sit overnight.

The next day, butter a 2 pint (4 cup) basin/mold and pack the pudding mixture into the greased mold. Wrap the entire bowl with parchment paper and foil or even better, with the saved wrappings from sticks of butter. Place the wrapped pudding in a steamer over a pot full of boiling water and let steam for 8 hours. Check the water level frequently to make sure the pot doesn't run dry. Let cool completely and re-wrap with new foil. Store in a cool dark place for up to 3 weeks until Christmas! On Christmas Day, re-heat by steaming again for 2 hours. Remove from mold, pour a couple of tablespoons of brandy on the pudding and light on fire! Slice and serve with brandy butter.