Panic with Christmas pudding recipe

[RedDiamond]

I bought myself a 2 litre pudding steamer. I thought I was going to cook my Christmas pudding in the slow cooker in this tin. Tin is TOO big. I do not have another suitable bowl that will fit the slow cooker.

Can I put this tin in the oven and steam it that way? If so, what temperature and for how long. Do I need to put foil over it if it has a sealed lid?

The recipe I followed says use a 1 litre bowl. Does it matter if I put it in the 2 litre bowl? Looks like it could easily almost fill the 2 litre.

OK, so you've got a batter, and nothing to cook it in?
Have you got a pan big enough to fit the 2 litre tin?
You can steam the pudding in a big pa rather that the slow cooker BUT YOU MUST NOT LET IT BOIL DRY.

Otherwise, are you sure you have nothing to use in the slow cooker? No glass or heatproof ceramic bowls? Even if it only takes half the mixture.

You ideally need to steam, not bake in the oven.

I do not have another bowl which is a shame as I would have used that. I thought you could "steam" in the oven if at a low temperature?

A Christmas pudding must be steamed. If you bake it it will come out more like a stodgier Christmas cake.

Can you use a smaller bowl? It doesn't have to be pudding-shaped. I often make individual Christmas puds in small bowls in the slow cooker, and I use a variety of ramekins, nutella jars, and plastic pots that once held shop-bought puddings. I put a disc of greaseproof paper on each pudding and cover them with foil. I can even offset stack them in the steamer Works perfectly well.

Do you have a pressure cooker? That will also steam a pudding well.

Last resort IMO is to steam it in a saucepan. Again, this will work perfectly well, but, unlike pressure cooker or slow cooker, will require frequent monitoring and frequent top-ups of boiling water.

I think my best bet is to visit the hardware shop just down the road tomorrow morning. I am sure they will have something suitable. I have foil and greaseproof paper so I should be able to get a regular ceramic bowl.

Thank you both for your help and advice.

Get a Pyrex bowl. It will be far more useful in your kitchen after Xmas.

What bowl have you currently mixed the pudding in?

I know it might sound daft that I do not have a suitable bowl but this is the first time I have made a Christmas pudding and I thought, stupidly, the steamer bowl would fit. I live on my own so don't normally have the need for lots of bowls.

Pyrex is definitely the way to go. And thinking about it, I have a relative close by who probably has all sizes of bowls as their kitchen and storage space is huge. Plus I know they LOVE Christmas pudding so would happily lend me a bowl in return for some of the pudding.

The recipe said to use the biggest one I had for mixing.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-christmas-pudding

Yes, but if it's glass, ceramic or possibly metal, you can cook it in that.

Would the tin you've got fit with a smaller lid?

The bowl I used for mixing is too big for the slow cooker or my saucepan.

This message will probably arrive too late, but if you are going to take up this kind of cooking you will benefit from acquiring a big mixing bowl. The earthenware type. But it's only for mixing - its size means you can stir large amounts without getting stuff all over the worktop. But you'll need two or three Pyrex bowls as well. (My mother had an excellent emergency make-and-eat-on-same-day wartime Christmas pudding recipe. If interested, pm me.) Happy Christmas!

@RedDiamond I am curious to learn what you did! I hope you made and enjoyed your Christmas pudding. Happy New Year.