Christmas Pudding ?

[marshlander]

Thinking about making ahead for gifts and for ourselves my mind turned to Christmas puddings

The more I search the more different recipes I find, some with stout or not, some with apple or not and so on . Any recommendations peeps? Do you have an ace recipe to share?

[contadina]

Christmas puddings are very forgiving, you can change the fruit, nut, booze and fat combos and still make a great one. This is the recipe I sort of follow as it is a lot lighter than many others because it uses butter rather than suet.

Ingredients

8 oz butter
6oz brown sugar
2-3 eggs
4oz plain flour
generous pinch of salt
half-teaspoon nutmeg
half-teaspoon ground ginger
1 and half teaspoon mixed spice
2oz ground almonds
3oz finely grated carrot (or small apple chunks work well)
16 oz dried fruit I used about 8oz figs and a mix of currants sultanas, mixed peel and cherries for the rest
2oz chopped almonds
4oz breadcrumbs
grated rind and juice of one lemon
1tbsp treacle
4 tbsp of water mixed with either rum or brandy
butter for greasing bowl

Grease a two-pint pudding basin. Cream together butter and sugar, then whisk in beaten egg a little at a time. Sift flour, salt and spices on top of the butter mix. Add the remaining ingredients with enough boozy liquid to make a soft mixture, which will fall heavily from a spoon. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the basin and cover with pleated greaseproof paper and then foil. Tie securely and place in large saucepan. Pour water until half way up sides of the basin. Bring to the boil and cover the pan and simmer gently for 4 hours (or two and half if you are using a pressure cooker). Check water level and top up with boiling water when necessary. Remove the pudding from the pan and store in a cool, dry place. Come Christmas, steam for three hours, or less, if using a pressure cooker, before flaming with brandy.

Here's a picture of a mini pud (there always seems to be a dollop left) http://contadina.growveg.info/2011/11/2 ... pudding-2/

[safronsue]

looks scrumptious and without suet suits me too. i'll give it a go. ta

[demi]

mmmmm looks good! My gran made a christmas cake every year, months before christmas, and poured brandy or rum? over it at intervals until christmas. She died a few weeks ago and so did the recipe with her . I should of asked her for it ages ago. Any one have a recipe like this?

[diggernotdreamer]

I have a christmas pudding recipe, it was made by my Nanny who was born in 1889 , I don't know where she got it from, my auntie wrote it out for my mum when I was a little girl, so probably about 47 years ago,I found it in the cookery book that my mum gave me and I have subsequently photocopied the original and given it to my cousin (whose mum wrote the recipe) and other family members. It seems to be quite a different recipe to those in most books, I really treasure this recipe and it makes me think of my nanny and happy times when I was little, I am so glad I have it

[wabbit955]

this is the recipe i use but always changing it i often use cherries from my cherry brandy in it instead of glaze cherries

CHRISTMAS PUDDING
500gms SULANAS
600gms RASINS
200gms APIRCOTS
250gms DATES
250gms FIGS
200gms FLAKED ALMOND
250gms GLAZED CHERRIES
200gms CANDIED PEEL
250gms BLACK TREACLE
100gms STEM GINGER
250gms DEMERAMA SUGAR
300Ggms SUET/ BUTTER/ OIL
400gms BREAD CRUMBS
300gmsFLOUR
8 EGGS
5gmsCINNMON
5gms MIXED SPICE
2 cans GUINNESS
1 LEMONS zest and juice
1 ORANGES zest and juice
500gms grated CARROTS
500gms grated APPLES
1/2 bottle BRANDY
1. SOAKFRUITS IN GUINESS ZEST& JUICE OF ORANGES & LEMONS
2. ADD EVER THING ELSE (NOT BRANDY) MIX WELL
3. STEAM 4 HOURS COVER WITH BRANDY WHILE HOT
enjoy

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Now that sounds like my kind of pudding!

[marshlander]

Now that sounds like my kind of pudding!

[demi]

Susie, that sound like the kind of cake my gran would make.

Wabbit, i like the sound of the figs and dates in the christmas cake.

Maybe i can add figs and dates to Susie's recipe?

I will have a look round the shops to see what ingredients i can find and get my mum to post over the rest.

Thanks :)