Christmas Pudding is one of those things that people either love or hate, a bit like marmite. It should be rich and dark and full of flavour and not heavy or overpowering, as it sometimes can be. You can also buy it easily and cheaply in supermarkets in the UK and that’s always a very tempting and time saving option. But if you do take the plunge and make one at home, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how very simple the recipe is, and once you taste your homemade pudding there is definitely no going back.
A homemade Christmas Pudding is light, moist and bursting with fruitiness. But as with most things, the final flavour will depend very much on the quality of the ingredients, so it’s really worth shopping around for the best you can get hold of. Like a lot of steamed puddings, the traditional recipe calls for beef suet, which can obviously be a problem for vegetarians, so personally I have always opted for vegetable suet which is absolutely fine.
However, these days we are becoming more concerned about the origin and quality of these basic ingredients, and this year I have decided to use grated coconut cream as a substitute for the suet. Hopefully this should do exactly the same job but with all the added health benefits of coconut oil.
Christmas Pudding is as previously mentioned a steamed pudding, and this can also be a reason to put people off. Having a pudding bubbling away for hours on end, taking up precious cooking space on your cooker, on one of the busiest cooking days of the year doesn’t exactly make sense. But this problem can be easily solved by using a slow cooker. This way your pudding can simmer slowly, conveniently tucked out of the way and with no fear of it drying out or boiling over. It really does make a huge difference, and one that definitely revolutionised the whole experience for me.
- 4 oz (110g) coarsely grated coconut cream (the type that comes in a hard bar) or vegetable suet
- 2oz (50g) self raising flour
- 4oz (110g) fresh bread crumbs
- 1 level tsp mixed spice
- ½ level tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 8oz (225g) soft dark brown sugar
- 4oz (110g) sultanas
- 4oz (110g) raisins
- 10oz (275g) currants (feel free to add a few chopped prunes or figs, but just adjust the weight accordingly)
- 25g chopped candied peel
- 50g chopped glace cherries
- 50g chopped almonds
- 1 coarsely grated, medium sized cooking apple
- Grated zest of ½ a lemon and an orange
- 2 large eggs
- 150 ml stout beer
- 3 tbsp of brandy
- You will need a lightly buttered 1.2 litre heat-proof pudding basin.
- One slow cooker, or a steamer.
- Start the day before you plan to steam the pudding.
- In your largest bowl, measure the suet or grated coconut cream, flour, bread crumbs, sugar and spices and blend together.
- Gradually mix in the dried fruit and nuts, zests and grated apple.
- Beat the 2 eggs in another smaller bowl, and whisk in the measured stout and brandy.
- Gradually add the liquid mixture to the dried ingredients, stirring as you go.
- This is the point that you may invite the kids to help with the stirring and make a wish. You may also like to add surprise good fortune charms in place of the traditional old fashioned sixpence.
- Once everything is thoroughly mixed together into a soft, sloppy mixture, cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave it overnight for the flavours to steep together.
- The next day your pudding is ready to go in the well greased basin ready for steaming. Cover the pudding basin with a double layer of greaseproof paper and then wrap the whole thing with foil, making sure there are no gaps for the water to get in.
- Finally, take a long length of string and secure it around the pudding basin, like you would tie a parcel. This helps you lift the basin in and out of the slow cooker when it is piping hot .
- Preheat your slow cooker on high for 15 mins. Place the pudding in the cooker and then add boiling water to half way up the side of the basin.
- Cook 1 hr on HIGH, and then 8 - 10 hours on LOW (this can be done overnight)
- On Christmas Day reheat the pudding on HIGH for 3 hours. Turn it off when the time is up, and let the pudding stand in the hot water until it is ready to serve.
- Remove the wrappings and loosen the pudding by sliding a palate knife around the pudding basin. Place a serving dish on top of the basin and gripping both together carefully, but quite positively turn it upside down. If the pudding doesn't release immediately wait a few minutes to let gravity play a part. If it still doesn't release then use the knife to loosen again.
- Now for the flaming!
- Take your largest spoon and fill it with brandy. Then hold it over the flame of your hob, or a candle to warm it up for a couple of minutes. Lower the spoon into the flame and the brandy will ignite into a pretty blue flame.
- Pour the flaming brandy over the pudding at the table, or it will go out too soon!
- The pudding turned out fine as you can see, the grated solid coconut cream instead of veg suet was a very successful substitute, and I’ll definitely be using it next year!
- If you have any left-overs, slice it and sauté in a little brandy butter and a tot of extra brandy, then ignite the brandy by tilting the pan towards the flame of your hob (a match will also do!) and serve flaming from the pan for some added aplomb!
What a great idea for the Christmas Pudding and it looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you have a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I would love to try to make a Christmas Pudding, and this looks like the way to go! Thank you so much for adjusting the recipe for a slow cooker! And thank you for sharing this with us at Treasure Box Tuesday- pinned! 🙂
My mom always made Christmas Pudding when I was young. I loved it and haven’t thought of Christmas pudding for many years. Thank you so much for bringing back my memories of watching my mom make Christmas pudding. Just to let you know that I picked this for my Foodie Friends Friday favorite. I hope that you come back tonight and link up more awesome recipes, crafts or DIY>
Thanks Marly, I’m so glad my Christmas Pudding brought back such happy memories! And Thanks for hosting!
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful Homemade Christmas Pudding recipe with Foodie Friends Friday party this week. We’ve pinned and shared, and we look forward to seeing you again with another delicious recipe.
A Foodie Friends Friday co-host,
Joanne
Thanks for hosting, we will pop by again soon!
Christmas Pudding is something I have read about in carols and Christmas stories. I’ve always been curious about it. I might have to give your delicious looking recipe a try. Pinned. Thanks for bringing this by Weekend Bites.
Thank you Diane and thanks for hosting too!