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| | The Great Christmas Pud
Forget the turkey and all that nonsense. The only food that makes Christmas Christmas is ... the pud.
It's the only seasonal food that is alcoholic, satisfying, profitable (if you put coins in it), and you can set fire to.
It also has the advantage that if you forget about it, and leave it at the back of the fridge, you can still eat it six months later. (Well.... I do).
So, you'll find a few recipes below showing you how to make the thing... but first - here's a little of its history...
A long time ago Xmas pud was actually a porridge... with fruit and alcohol.
Henry VIII's time The king went a-hunting, and, hungry, he was fed at a woodcutter's cottage, and was served "plum pottage". He liked it so much, he got the royal cooks to make it.
Next century Oliver Cromwell, the Puritan, banned it. Which shows it must be good stuff.
Victorian era Despite being utter prudes, the Victorians made the pud the centre of their Xmas table. Yee-ha!
Okay, now over to you.... if your great-great-grandmother left you a pud recipe you want to share, or you've an unusual one using a concrete-mixer (say), or you're just sharing because Christmas-is-a-sharing-time, send your recipes in now.
And, if you're looking for a recipe for turkey and all the trimmings, why not check out our Turkey à la Stoke page too!
| Mrs Stearn's Pud | Mrs Stearn, the Victorian Cook at the traditional working kitchen of Shugborough's Servants' Quarters would like to submit Lord Lichfield very Own Christmas Pudding Recipe.
A light moist pudding using butter or margarine... | Ingredients:
8oz butter or margarine;
8oz rich dark soft sugar;
3 beaten eggs, size 2-3
2oz black treacle
3oz self raising flour
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
finely grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
juice of ½ lemon and 1 orange
8oz fresh brown breadcrumbs
8oz sultanas
8oz raisins
8oz currants
2oz mixed peel
1oz flaked almonds [option]
2 tablespoon sherry. | Method:
Beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and cream until fluffy.Gradually beat in the eggs and then the treacle. Sieve the flour, salt and spices together, fold into the mixture with the fruit rinds, juice, breadcrumbs, dried fruits, mixed peel and sherry. Mix thoroughly and have a wish!
Spoon into two 2lb pudding basins. Cover with greaseproof paper and foil or pudding cloth. Leave overnight.
Steam for 5 hours. Leave to cool and then re-cover and leave in a cool place. On Christmas Day boil or steam for about 3 hours. To serve: Warm I tablespoon of brandy, pour over pudding and light immediately. |
| Muriel's Pud | | Thanks to Muriel from Sandyford in Stoke on Trent who last year, won the BBC Radio Stoke's Christmas Pud recipe competition - this was her winning entry. | | Ingredients: 4oz toasted breadcrumbs; 1oz plain flour; 4oz shredded suet; 4oz dark-brown sugar; 2 large eggs; three-quarters-lb raisins; 6oz sultanas; 8oz currants; 2-4oz blanched almonds; 2oz chopped dried apricots; 2oz chopped dried prunes; 1oz glace cherries (chopped); 1 grated carrot; grated rind, and juice, of 2 lemons and 1 orange; 3 tablespoons of black treacle; 1 teaspoon each of grated or ground nutmeg, mixed spice & cinnamon; quarter-pint stout; 1 wine-glass of rum or brandy or cold tea. | Method: Method: Mix all ingredients thoroughly (and "wish hard"!), then put mixture into either two 2-pint basins or one 4-pint basin. Fill almost to the top, and cover with greased foil.
Do not tie too tightly, pudding needs room to swell.
Steam for 5-7 hours for larger puddings, or a minimum of 4 hours for smaller puddings - but longer cooking will not spoil them.
When cooked, remove from steamer and allow to go cold, Re-cover with fresh dry foil and store in a cool, dry place.
To serve, steam for a further 2-3 hours (depending on pudding size). |
| Jane's Pud | This one is dead, dead simple and a great time-saver, because it can be frozen beforehand. Plus it uses a microwave. Excellent.
It burns beautifully too. | | Ingredients: 75g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs. 75g/3oz plain flour. Half-teaspoon ground mixed spice. 75g/3oz shredded suet. 100g/4oz soft brown sugar. 50g/2oz chopped mixed candied peel. 75g/3oz currants. 50g/2oz sultanas. 50g/20z raisins. 40g/one and a half oz blanched almonds (chopped). Grated rind & juice of half-lemon. Tablespoon brandy. A large egg (beaten). Two and a half tablespoons of brown ale. A tablespoon of milk. One and a half tablespoon black treacle. | Method: Mix breadcrumbs, flour, mixed spice, suet, sugar, peel, currants, sultanas, raisins, almonds & apple. Now add and mix in well the lemon, brandy, egg, ale, milk & treacle. Cover 7 leave overnight.
Put in a greased (butter) 1.15litre/2pint pudding basin. Cover loosely with cling film. Cook in microwave (full power) for 10-12 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes - and serve, preferably flamed with brandy.
If you're freezing it, remember to defrost it! On Xmas Eve will do.
Jane Jepson (no relation), Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent |
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