How To Make The Perfect Christmas Pudding

Tue, 5 November 2019

Rachel Allen shows us how to make the perfect Christmas Pudding

Christmas puddings should be given at least 6 weeks to mature. They will keep for a year.

Ingredients:
6ozs (175g) shredded beef suet
6 ozs (175g) brown sugar
7ozs (200g) soft white breadcrumbs
12oz (400g) dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries, dates
4 ozs (110g) chopped candied peel
2oz (50g) nibbled almonds
1 generous teaspoon mixed spice
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 large cooking apple, unpeeled, grated (don’t use the core and pips)
3 eggs, whisked
2 fl ozs (50ml) Irish whiskey
A pinch of salt

1 x 3 pints (1.75 L) capacity pudding bowl

Mix all the ingredients very well . Fill into the greased pudding bowl. Cover with a round of greaseproof paper or a butter-wrapped pressed down on top of the pudding. Put a large round of greaseproof or brown paper over the top of the bowl, tying it firmly under the rim.

Place in a saucepan one-third full of boiling water, cover with the saucepan lid and steam for 6 hours. (I often put this into an oven preheated to 110’C) Do not allow the water to boil over the top and do not let it boil dry either, the water should be halfway up the sides of the bowl so check it regularly while it’s cooking . Store in a cool place until needed.

On Christmas Day, or whenever you wish to serve the pudding, steam the pudding for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours before serving. Left-over pudding may be fried in butter.

Turn the pudding out of the bowl onto a warm serving plate, pour over some whiskey or brandy, and ignite. Serve with on warm plates with Whiskey Cream or Brandy butter.
Brandy Butter
3ozs (75g) butter
3ozs (75g) icing sugar
2-6 tablespoons (2-6 American tablespoons + 2-6 teaspoons) brandy

Cream the butter until very light, add the icing sugar and beat again. Then beat in the brandy, drop by drop. If you have a food processor, use it: you will get a wonderfully light and fluffy Brandy Butter. Store covered in a glass jar. It will keep for several weeks.