Making Christmas Pudding

I am a bit out of sorts this week. Tired. Trying to adjust back to my working life again.

But I am very pleased to announce that I have just made our Christmas pudding, yippee! I stirred up all the ingredients last night and left the mixture in the fridge, covered overnight. Then this morning I got up super early to start steaming it, then David took over monitoring it and topping up with water this morning. I am now home from work doing the afternoon shift as pudding monitor. I’m really wanting to take a little nap, but keeping myself awake with coffee as the gas is on so low for the simmer it could go out and then I could accidentally gas myself…not good.

I always enjoy making the pudding as it is my grandma’s secret recipe, handed down to my aunt, my sister and then me. It is THE most delicious pudding in my opinion. David has got so used to mine he once questioned the chef at a restaurant as to how their pudding was so awful.. I apologised and said it was my fault as he is used to my 5 star pudding!! This was last year’s effort with the brandy lit on the top.

This, on the other hand, is my sister’s pud!! Great balls of fire!

This morning I put the mixture into a pudding basin, didn’t bother with a 5p piece this year, someone could break a tooth on it! And then did the special greaseproof paper wrapping.

Followed by the foil and the string handle. I actually did 2 handles this year for luck.

And here it is now, steaming in progress…I use my biggest saucepan, balance the pudding bowl on the bottom section of my old cake tin, pour a little water around the edge and keep topping up with water (I use the little plastic jug from my iron), although leave the lid on the pan for most of the time for maximum steam…

The steaming takes 9 hours…..

I love the thought that my grandma and maybe her mother and generations before, waited all day for this steaming to complete, just like me, looking forward to serving this dish to their family on Christmas Day. The recipe is a little vague and doesn’t include exact quantities of all the ingredients, so each pud turns out slightly differently, and I like that. Each one is similar but unique. And always delicious. David prefers his cold. It is very good cold. We have homemade brandy butter and cream with it when it’s hot. Many people say they don’t like Christmas pudding. Cooked badly (as in many restaurants) it can be stodgy and with a horrible chewy texture. It should be juicy and sweet, fruity and alcoholic, melt in the mouth, rich but moreish. I have never found a shop bought one nearly as good as a home cooked one. Apart from the time spent steaming, they are easy to make, just stir everything up and hope for the best! It seems to work for me.

After it finishes steaming today, I will take off the old greaseproof paper and foil and replace with fresh, dry paper, foil and a new string handle. It then goes onto the shelf in my cupboard of my home office, waiting to be steamed again for about 1.5 hours on Christmas Day. Can’t wait!! Seriously. I’m feeling a slight urge to rip off the paper mid steaming just to sniff the gorgeous aroma and maybe try a little spoonful… Gail, CONTROL YOURSELF IT’S ONLY OCTOBER!!!!

Next week… Christmas cake…. more yumminess. (Is that a word? It is now) xx