It wouldn't be a proper English Christmas without the traditional main dessert - Christmas pudding. Its preparation begins on the Sunday before Advent so that all flavours are settled and sufficiently combined. It is served at the end of the festive Christmas lunch. Christmas pudding can also be found on festive menus in the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, Christmas pudding was not only an essential part of the English Christmas but also a symbol of the unity of the British Empire.
A very dark colour, a hemispherical shape, 13 ingredients including exotic spices, dried fruits and alcohol - this is the traditional Christmas pudding and a festive end to a festive lunch. It is steamed for several hours, which, together with the alcohol content, makes it last for a really long time.
Almost every household has its own recipe that has been passed down for generations. All members of the family should properly participate in the mixing of the pudding, and each member of the household should stir the mixture at least once and make a wish. A small coin is also added to the pudding mixture, and it is said that whoever finds it in their piece at Christmas will be lucky in the following year.
Even the serving itself should be a dining experience. First, the pudding is poured with a proper dose of brandy or rum and brought to the table, accompanied by enthusiastic applause. When the alcohol burns out, the pudding is served with brandy and melted butter or just topped with cream, vanilla cream, or garnished with a sprig of holly.
And what's the secret to a great Christmas pudding? Use only the best ingredients and steam it for as long as possible so that the flavours come together beautifully. Christmas pudding may take more time to prepare, but it wouldn't be Christmas without it. Just choose a recipe that will suit your taste.
Do you love chocolate and are looking for an easy Christmas pudding recipe that won't make you spend too much time in the kitchen? Look no further because we have the best chocolate Christmas pudding recipe for you. You will spend only 25 minutes with preparing it and only 1.5 hours cooking. Plus, this chocolate Christmas pudding is drowned in hot chocolate sauce. What will you need to prepare it?
Ingredients:
Method:
First, grease a 1.5-litre basin with butter and dust it with cocoa powder. Beat the butter and sugar until foamy, and gradually add the eggs while whisking. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and remaining ingredients to the mixture and mix gently.
Pour the finished mixture into a bowl, cover it with baking paper, tie a string around the perimeter and cover with foil. Place the pudding bowl in a large saucepan with a lid, pour boiling water just halfway up the pudding bowl and cook slowly in the steam for 1½ hours.
While the pudding is cooking, prepare the chocolate sauce. Put the chocolate, golden syrup and rum or brandy in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and 150ml of milk almost to boil, then pour it into the bowl with chocolate and stir to melt it.
Remove the foil and baking paper from the cooked pudding and tip it out onto a plate. Serve the chocolate Christmas pudding topped with the hot chocolate sauce.
Try Jamie Oliver's recipe for a delicious Christmas pudding. It will take approximately 4.5 hours to prepare. What do you need for 8 servings of this Christmas pudding?
Ingredients:
Method:
Prepare a 1.5-litre basin and grease it with unsalted butter.
Drain the dates and chop them finely together with the pecans, apricots, ginger and rosemary leaves. Put everything in a bowl, add raisins, cranberries, dried butter, breadcrumbs, flour and milk. Then add the egg, finely grated clementine peel, squeezed juice and mix everything well.
Tip the mixture into a greased dish and cover with one layer of greaseproof paper and a double layer of foil. Tie the bowl all around with string to make it watertight, then place it in a large pot and pour just enough water to reach halfway around the bowl. Steam the pudding for 4 hours. Check the water regularly and refill if necessary.
Remove the bowl from the water, remove the paper and foil and carefully tip the pudding onto a serving plate. Or, you can let it cool and then keep it in the dark, cool place until the festive season comes. You can then reheat it in the steam for about 1 hour, until hot.
You can serve it drizzled with golden syrup and a splash of bourbon. If you dare, you can carefully heat a small amount of bourbon, light it with a match, let it flare up and carefully pour it over the pudding. When the flame goes out, you can pour the golden syrup over the Christmas pudding again and add ice cream or cream on top.
Did you know you can also enjoy a great steamed Christmas pudding in a vegetarian version? Prepare a 1.2-litre basin, baking paper, foil and kitchen string. Expect to spend a little bit more time preparing the pudding.
Ingredients:
Method:
In a bowl, first mix the blended fruit, dried cane juice, rum and beer. Mix well, cover with foil and leave to rest for 24 hours.
Then add the nuts, breadcrumbs, flour, butter, spices, cherries and eggs to the mixture. Stir until all ingredients are completely combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in a cool place for 24 hours.
Then grease a 1.2-litre or two 0.5-litre basins with butter. Place a baking paper cut into a circle on the bottom of the basin, grease it with more butter and pour the pudding mixture. Cover the dish with baking paper and foil and tie it with string. Place the pudding bowl in a large saucepan, cover halfway with boiling water and steam slowly for 5-6 hours. During the cooking process, continuously add water as needed.
Tip out the cooked pudding and leave to cool. Heat the pudding either in a steamer or in the microwave before serving. It can be stored for up to 2 years in a cool, dry place.
The combination of Christmas pudding and port wine is really delicious. Soaking the dried fruit in port wine gives the pudding a great flavour, and the pudding will be light and smooth. You will need two 1.5-litre bowls and lids. The dried fruit should be left to soak overnight in the port wine, the pudding will take about 3.5 hours to cook.
Ingredients:
Method:
Mix all the dried fruit and zest and soak it overnight in port wine. And you're done for the day.
The next day, add the ginger, syrup, apples, orange juice, eggs, butter, sugar, crumble and flour. Grease both bowls with butter and pour the mixture into them. Cover the top of the pudding with a round of baking paper, cover with a lid (or use foil) and steam for 3½ hours.
You can let the pudding cool and store it in a cool, dry place, or serve it immediately, drizzled with brandy.
Why buy Christmas pudding in Sainsbury's or Marks & Spencer this year? Choose one of our recipes instead and prepare a great Christmas pudding yourself.
