Christmas is all about great food, laughs, and beautiful decorations. Christmas feast is the most awaited family gathering of the year. How about devouring a traditional Christmas pudding this Christmas? The history and origin of this traditional pudding has its roots back to the medieval times when it was prepared from meat (usually shin of beef), stewed together with raisins, currants, prunes, sugar, spices, claret, and lemon juice. However, until the 19th century, the meat was replaced with eggs, although the suet remained constant in the recipe. Traditionally, Christmas pudding is made on 'Stir Day', which is five Sundays before Christmas that probably falls on the last Sunday of November. Christmas puddings have very good keeping properties and most families keep one back on Christmas to be consumed on Easter, another significant celebration of the year. In addition, it looks very pretty when it is turned out from the pudding basin and is decorated with holly, doused in brandy and flamed. This pudding is customarily brought to the Christmas table ceremoniously and greeted with enormous gaiety and merriment. Check out the quick and easy recipe of traditional Christmas pudding below.
Ingredients
To have the Traditional Christmas pudding at home here is the recipe for it.
Traditional Christmas Pudding
- 4 oz Butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
- 1 piece candied Citron Peel
- 2 pieces whole candied Orange Peel
- 2 pieces whole candied Lemon Peel
- 4 oz soft light Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 6 oz Self-rising Flour (sifted)
- 1/3 leveled tsp ground Mace
- A pinch of Salt
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- Grated zest of 1 small Lemon
- Grated zest of 1 Orange
- 1 medium cooking Apple (peeled, cored and chopped small)
- 3 rounded tbsp Mincemeat
- 2 pints Pudding Basin (the rounded-based sort is best)
Method
- Prepare the pudding basin by buttering it lightly and arranging the candied orange and lemon peels on the base.
- Slice the citron peel into ½ inch strips and arrange these in an overlapping circle in the center of the base of the basin (like a flower).
- Make lengthways strips of the candied peels but leave the end intact, using a pair of sharp scissors.
- Arrange these strips around the ‘flower’ shaped peels settled in the basin earlier.
- To make the pudding, beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand whisk in a large bowl until the mixture gets pale and creamy with smooth consistency. Consistency should be enough so that it drops off a spoon easily with a sharp tap.
- Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the butter mix, in tiny amounts at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- When all the eggs are well mixed into the pudding mixture, carefully add in sifted flour, mace, and salt. Mix well.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, chopped apple, and mincemeat. Blend well.
- Pour this pudding mixture into the pudding basin.
- Tie a double piece of pleated foil on the basin. Place it in a steamer over boiling water and steam for about 2 to 2½ hours.
- Allow the pudding to cool for an hour.
- Once, the pudding is completely cold, you can turn it out easily, wrap it well and freeze until needed.
- Take this delicious pudding out of the freezer late on Christmas Eve and re-steam on Christmas for 1½ hours.
- Your Christmas pudding is ready to serve.
- Slice and serve with hot punch sauce.