Christmas Pudding! episode 1.10

Well Christmas is fast upon us - Myles said yesterday he feels like a freight train is approaching! The best way to deal with festive season stress is to be as prepared as you can, and be realistic with what you can do. I'm never going to have a perfectly designed lunch table with handmade name cards, homemade bonbons, and the perfect meal. But I can do a great meal!

As coeliacs, Christmas can be really difficult. Many of the festive foods are loaded with gluten, so not available for us. This recipe is so tasty, and so easy to convert, that no-one will know that they are eating gluten free! So this year - volunteer to make the pudding for the family get together.

The beauty of traditional Christmas pudding is that it can be made months in advance - preferably on a cool spring day, so that you are not boiling away on the stove for hours when its 35 degrees outside! It keeps well, and once cooked can be stored in the pantry if plans change.

The recipe that I am sharing with you today, is from Myles's side of the family. His grandmother took this from the Argus newspaper the year she got married - 1928. I have converted it to gluten free ( by replacing the breadcrumbs, flour and baking powder with GF alternatives  - using the same measurements of ingredients). As this recipe was written in imperial measurements, I am going to give it to you in both imperial and metric. It is important to keep the measurement ratios as is, but rounding up or down slightly in the metric, should not make too much difference. Be generous with the fruit and the nutmeg. it certainly makes a better pudding. If you can't obtain dried figs, don't worry - the pudding will still be a great pudding, but in my humble opinion it is the fig that makes this one really special.

This recipe will make a 2 kg pudding. I usually cook this recipe in 2 basins with each pudding weighing 1 kg. That way I have 1 to share as a gift, and one for our family lunch.

You can see how to make this be clicking on the link to my YouTube channel, episode 1.10, Christmas Pudding

Ingredients
Butter 8 oz (227 g)
sugar 8 oz ( 227 g)
raisins 12 oz (341 g)
Sultanas 12 oz (341 g)
peel 2 oz ( 57g)
chopped figs 2 oz (57g)
soft breadcrumbs 7 oz (199 g) - approx 6 slices
plain flour 5 oz (142 g)
chopped blanched almonds 2oz (57g)
nutmeg 1 tsp
ground ginger, mixed spice, cinnamon, salt  1/4 tsp each
1 tsp baking powder mixed into 1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
additional flour
unbleached calico - washed without soap

Using a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and the sugar is well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and mix well in between.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

Prepare the pudding cloth by rubbing extra flour into it. Use cloth, flour side away from the bowl, to line a pudding basin. Place mixture into cloth.

Gather cloth up and twist slightly. Using cooking twine, tightly seal the cloth. Ensure that all edges are above the knot.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Place a saucer upside down in the pot, and rest the pudding basin on the saucer. Ensure that all the cloth is on top of the pudding and none is in the water. The water should be halfway up the bowl. Place a tight-fitting lid on. Check the pot every half hour to ensure there is sufficient water in it. If you need to add more, boil the kettle and add the boiling water into the pot - being careful not to pour any into the pudding basin.

Steam for 5 hours. If you have halved the recipe and using a 4 cup basins steam for 3.5 hours.

Once the initial steaming is complete, remove pudding from the water, and allow to cool to room temperature. The pudding then needs to dry out. This can be done by storing in the fridge, or if you have a cool part of the house, they can be hung (this is more traditional).

Reheat the pudding by either steaming a further 2 hours (1 hour for the halved mixture). Serve with custard and brandy sauce.

Merry Christmas everyone!

edited February 2023