British · Dessert
Classic Christmas pudding
The traditional British Christmas dessert featuring dried fruits, nuts, spices, and brandy steamed for hours then aged until Christmas Day. This rich, dark pudding is flambéed with brandy and served with brandy butter for the ultimate festive finale.
The Method
Instructions
Alright, let's get everything ready for the pudding. Start by chopping the almonds coarsely , you want a nice bite to them, not too fine. Then peel, core, and chop the cooking apples into small chunks; Bramley apples work brilliantly here with their tartness. Make sure your knife is sharp because you'll need it to chop the candied peel really finely by hand. (You could use a food processor for the almonds and apples to save time, but trust me, the peel holds its texture better when chopped by hand.) Now, grate about three quarters of the nutmeg , it might seem like a lot, but it really brings that warm, spicy note that makes the pudding magical.
Next, grab a large mixing bowl and throw in the almonds, apples, candied peel, freshly grated nutmeg, raisins, plain flour, breadcrumbs, and the light muscovado sugar. Crack in the eggs and add 2 tablespoons of brandy or cognac , this adds depth and keeps the pudding moist. Give everything a good stir so all those lovely flavors start to mingle.
Here's a fun bit: take your butter still wrapped and grate about a quarter of it straight into the bowl. Stir that in well, then repeat the process until all the butter is grated and mixed through. This method ensures the butter is evenly distributed. Once it's all combined, stir continuously for around 3 to 4 minutes. You'll notice the mixture starts to settle down and thicken just a bit after each stir , that's your cue that it's ready. If you want, get the family involved for an extra dose of holiday cheer! Everyone can have a turn stirring and making a wish for Christmas.
Now, prepare two 1.2 litre pudding bowls by generously buttering them , this helps the pudding release easily later on. Pop a circle of baking parchment into the bottom of each bowl to prevent sticking. Then, pack the pudding mixture firmly into the bowls, filling them up but leaving space for the pudding to rise. Cover each bowl with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating the paper to allow room for expansion. Hold the paper in place with a rubber band while you tie it tightly with kitchen string. Once tied, trim off any excess paper so it looks neat.
Here's a neat trick to keep your pudding watertight: place each covered bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top. Then cover with another sheet of foil and fold it down underneath the bowl, making a double foil package. Tie this securely with more string, and twist a loop or handle in the string to make lifting the puddings out of the pot easier. If you want a visual guide, check out a good video on how to tie up a pudding properly , it's pretty handy.
Time to cook! You can either boil or oven steam your puddings for about 8 hours. Make sure to check the water level occasionally and top up with boiling water as needed so the puddings don't dry out. Once they're done, carefully remove them from the pans and leave them to cool completely overnight. When cold, unwrap and discard the messy paper and foil, then re wrap the puddings in fresh baking parchment, foil, and string. Store them somewhere cool and dry until Christmas , this resting period really helps the flavors to develop beautifully.
While the puddings are resting, why not whip up some brandy butter? Cream together the butter with fresh orange zest and icing sugar until it's light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the brandy or cognac along with some finely chopped stem ginger for a lovely zing. Spoon this mixture into a small bowl, then use a fork to create a pretty pattern on top before popping it into the fridge to set. This butter keeps for about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to six weeks if you want to make it well ahead of time.
On Christmas Day, you'll want to steam or boil the puddings again, but this time for just 1 hour to warm them through. Once heated, unwrap and carefully turn each pudding out onto a serving plate. For the dramatic finishing touch, warm 3 to 4 tablespoons of brandy in a small pan, then pour it over the pudding. Light it with a match and watch those beautiful blue flames dance , it's the perfect way to impress your guests and kick off the festive feast!
Next, grab a large mixing bowl and throw in the almonds, apples, candied peel, freshly grated nutmeg, raisins, plain flour, breadcrumbs, and the light muscovado sugar. Crack in the eggs and add 2 tablespoons of brandy or cognac , this adds depth and keeps the pudding moist. Give everything a good stir so all those lovely flavors start to mingle.
Here's a fun bit: take your butter still wrapped and grate about a quarter of it straight into the bowl. Stir that in well, then repeat the process until all the butter is grated and mixed through. This method ensures the butter is evenly distributed. Once it's all combined, stir continuously for around 3 to 4 minutes. You'll notice the mixture starts to settle down and thicken just a bit after each stir , that's your cue that it's ready. If you want, get the family involved for an extra dose of holiday cheer! Everyone can have a turn stirring and making a wish for Christmas.
Now, prepare two 1.2 litre pudding bowls by generously buttering them , this helps the pudding release easily later on. Pop a circle of baking parchment into the bottom of each bowl to prevent sticking. Then, pack the pudding mixture firmly into the bowls, filling them up but leaving space for the pudding to rise. Cover each bowl with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating the paper to allow room for expansion. Hold the paper in place with a rubber band while you tie it tightly with kitchen string. Once tied, trim off any excess paper so it looks neat.
Here's a neat trick to keep your pudding watertight: place each covered bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top. Then cover with another sheet of foil and fold it down underneath the bowl, making a double foil package. Tie this securely with more string, and twist a loop or handle in the string to make lifting the puddings out of the pot easier. If you want a visual guide, check out a good video on how to tie up a pudding properly , it's pretty handy.
Time to cook! You can either boil or oven steam your puddings for about 8 hours. Make sure to check the water level occasionally and top up with boiling water as needed so the puddings don't dry out. Once they're done, carefully remove them from the pans and leave them to cool completely overnight. When cold, unwrap and discard the messy paper and foil, then re wrap the puddings in fresh baking parchment, foil, and string. Store them somewhere cool and dry until Christmas , this resting period really helps the flavors to develop beautifully.
While the puddings are resting, why not whip up some brandy butter? Cream together the butter with fresh orange zest and icing sugar until it's light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the brandy or cognac along with some finely chopped stem ginger for a lovely zing. Spoon this mixture into a small bowl, then use a fork to create a pretty pattern on top before popping it into the fridge to set. This butter keeps for about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to six weeks if you want to make it well ahead of time.
On Christmas Day, you'll want to steam or boil the puddings again, but this time for just 1 hour to warm them through. Once heated, unwrap and carefully turn each pudding out onto a serving plate. For the dramatic finishing touch, warm 3 to 4 tablespoons of brandy in a small pan, then pour it over the pudding. Light it with a match and watch those beautiful blue flames dance , it's the perfect way to impress your guests and kick off the festive feast!
Pairs Well With
