Grandpa Joe's favorite
English Christmas Pudding

Mille grazie to our good friends, Barbara and Ian, in Manchester, England for sharing this wonderful recipe.  They tell me it originated with Ian's mother.

About this recipe

This is an English classic.  The recipe, as noted above, is from Manchester and has been part of my collection for four decades.  Although assembling the ingredients can be a bit of a challenge, it is very special on many levels.  If you try it, you will see why.

Ingredients

  • ½ pound flour
  • ½ pound bread crumbs
  • ½ pound suet
  • ½ pound sugar
  • ½ pound currants
  • ½ pound stoned raisins
  • ¼ pound sultanas
  • ¼ pound mixed peel
  • 1 small baking apple, grated
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • ½ teaspoonful freshly ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon Mixed Spice
  • 2 eggs
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • ½ to ¾ pint milk
  • Brandied Hard Sauce

Directions

  1. Combine all of the dry ingredients except the spices in a large bowl and mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Then add the brandy and spices.  Mix well.
  3. Add the egg mixture and ½ pint of milk to the dry ingredients and mix well again.  Add the remaining ¼ pint of milk, if necessary, to make the mixture creamy.
  4. Put the ingredients into a lightly greased 2 pint bowl.
  5. Cover the bowl with a double sheet of silicone paper (baking parchment) and a sheet of foil (with a pleat in the middle to allow for expansion).  Then tie securely round the rim of the bowl with string.
  6. Fill a pot half full with water and bring to a boil.  Place the bowl with the pudding in the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 4 hours.  Add more water, if necessary.
  7. After steaming, allow to cool and then remove the string, foil, and paper and replace with fresh ones.
  8. Keep in a cool place until needed.  See Notes.
  9. To reheat, place on top of a trivet in a pot of boiling water to steam for about 2 hours 15 minutes.
  10. Serve topped with Brandied Hard Sauce.
Flaming English Christmas Pudding.

Notes

  • In English tradition, Christmas Pudding is prepared weeks in advance of Christmas.  After cooking, it is allowed to reach room temperature and then stored in its cooking bowl in a cool place until Christmas Day.  After reheating (Directions Step 9), it is removed to a serving dish, "bathed" with a quarter cup of brandy, ignited, and brought to the table flaming!  It is then sliced and served with the Brandied Hard Sauce.
  • A sultana is a white seedless grape.  Golden raisins are perfect substitutes.
  • Stoned raisins are dark pitted raisins.
  • Mixed peel is candied citrus rinds, usually from lemons and oranges.
Posted: October 2014; picture revised: December 2014.