No Christmas is complete without a Christmas pudding. Traditionally, Christmas puddings are made well in advance and set it aside to mature. The dessert used to be made on "Stir-up Sunday," the Sunday at the end of November, where families gather to stir the mixture, make a wish, and add a few coins to the batter. The pudding once cooked and cooled down, is wrapped in aluminum foil or parchment paper and let it sit to mature until Christmas. The alcohol mellows, the flavors mingle and develop during this waiting time and it is worth it.
-
Prep Time15 Minutes
-
Cook Time3-4 Hours
-
View
A Christmas pudding is a dark, sticky, and dense sponge, more like a fruitcake, made of mixed dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple, and citrus zests.
Brandy and spices provide a deep, complex flavor and signature dark color. This recipe however is a quick recipe without alcohol.
You can have it immediately after cooking or can feed it with alcohol and let it sit until Christmas.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, butter and sugar and mix well until it is light and creamy.
Add eggs and beat together until well combined.
Add in the dried fruits and stir again.
Add orange zest and Juice and mix well.
Now add the bread crumbs and mix well.
Finally add the spices and flour and mix well.
Grease 2 medium pudding mould with butter and add the mixture into it.
Cover with an parchment paper and an aluminum foil. Make a sleeve by folding the middle. Tie securely with string, wrapping the string around the mould, then loop over the top. This will form a handle, which will be useful when removing the pudding from the steamer.
Place the pudding in a saucepan or a steamer with simmering water, and steam the pudding for 3 to 4 hours.
Make sure you check the water level frequently and add if necessary. You can steam for longer if you wish (about 8 to 10 hours which will enhance the taste and flavor)The pudding should be a dark brown color when cooked.
You can have it once cooled down.
Or if you want to keep it to mature like traditionally done, remove the paper, prick the pudding with a skewer in a few places, and feed it with 2 tbsp of alcohol then wrap again and keep in in a cool dry place to mature.
On Christmas Day, reheat the pudding by steaming again for about an hour and Enjoy!
Tips:
Slow cooker Christmas pudding Method: Preheat the slow cooker to high, add a trivet to the bottom of the slow cooker and place the pudding on top, pour boiling water into the slow cooker to a depth enough to immerse half the pudding mould.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours, remove from the slow cooker and set aside to cool.
Instructions for pressure cooker: Place the wrapped, uncooked pudding onto a trivet in the bottom of the pressure cooker and add water to a depth enough to immerse half the pudding mould.
Bring the water to the boil, covering the pan loosely with a lid. Steam the pudding for 30 minutes. Add the weight onto the pressure cooker properly and bring to high pressure.
Cook the pudding for 2 hours, then allow to cool without removing the weight or whistle.
Use the best fruit and spices for the best tasting pudding.
Steam it for as long as much as 8 to 10 hours to get the best color and taste of the pudding, It need not be done in one day – the puddings can be steamed in different sets of durations over two or three days.
If you add 2 to 4 tbsp of alcohol to the pudding, it can be stored for up to two years in a refrigerator, or in a cool dry place.
To serve, reheat the pudding by steaming again (in the same way) for two hours, or until hot all the way through.
Do try the recipe and let me know how it turned out. If you like it please like and share.
Leave a Review