Restaurant Recipe Reviews

Christmas puddings are a traditional thing to eat at the end of the Christmas day meal typically in the UK. Some people buy them and they often come as part of Christmas hampers but a lot of people like the tradition of making one themselves. Making a pudding can be almost a family tradition and is a great chance for the family to get together and do something fun.

Originally the Christmas pudding was made in the Middle Ages with meat from game animals such as rabbit, pheasant and partridge which were available at the time. A concoction of spices was then added to the pudding to give it a distinctly Christmas feel. The pudding has evolved to include more fruit and the meat disappeared to be replaced with fruit such as apples, raisins and lemons and oranges were used as they came over from main land Europe.

The spices that are used in the pudding have become well know as giving the distinctive Christmas smell. Spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and others were originally used to hide the taste of the rancid meat used in the pudding but as the desert has evolved into a desert the spices have remained. When the perfumed aroma begins to fill the house you know Christmas is truly here.

Quite often traditionalists will start making the Christmas pudding in November. This might seem a bit extreme but by the time you have soaked the fruit, made the batter, steamed the pudding and given it chance to mature then it is quite good to be able to start early. Marinating the fruit begins with adding your chosen dried fruit to enough brandy or rum to cover it and leaving it somewhere to soak. The fruit can be raisins, sultanas, cranberries, cherries plums or any other fruit you like. Even exotic fruit like dried mango and pineapple can be used and will give a good flavour to the final pudding.

The dry ingredients for the pudding consist of flour, suet, sugar and spices these are mixed with the fruit and soaking liquor, along with eggs and any other ingredients you might want in the pudding. Some people like to add treacle, grated carrot or apples. Often the batter is made up using stout or more brandy if the mixture is too dry.

Next you need to stir the mixture. This is where the family can get really involved as you can rope everyone in to give it a good stir to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Making a wish when you stir the pudding mix is a must to make all your Christmas dreams come true. Some traditions such as adding a sixpence to the mixture have meaning for the lucky finder when eating it. In the case of the sixpence this means the person will come into money or if they are unlucky they will have to make a trip to the dentist in the New Year!

The pudding is then steamed for anything up to 8 hours or more depending on the size. Once the pudding has been steamed many people like to leave the pudding to mature in a cool dark place. This will help the flavours to develop and is also another chance to add more brandy or rum to the pudding to help keep it moist and give it a nice flavour. On Christmas day you then need to steam the pudding again for up to 2 hours to warm it ready for the table.

Before the pudding goes to the table, you need to decorate it with a sprig of holly or other traditional Christmas plants. If you are feeling adventurous then the pudding needs to be flamed by tipping a ladle of flaming brandy over the top of the pudding. If you do this at the table it is a great spectacle for people to watch at the end of the meal. The pudding can then be served up with brandy or rum butter, cream or custard, yummy enjoy!

With Interflora you don’t only have the option to have some flowers delivered but they have a great range of hampers too. If you are looking for some hampers then have a look at their website.