Christmas pudding - urgent!!

[TellMeStraight]

About to soak the fruit.

Brandy, or Port? Or both?

Brandy

Brandy

Does anyone have a nice recipe for me?

Delia Smith. Make hers every year with great success.

Brandy definitely and feed it with cherry brandy over the next few weeks.

mothersgrimm try this very old recipe. It's had very good reviews over the years and I'm making it this year for the first time after making nigellas before.
grow-our-own.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Eliza-Actons-Christmas-pudding-from-1845-27-11-12.pdf

Sorry I meant feed your cake not puddings with cherry brandy over the next few weeks unless you like them really boozy.

huh fascinating i wonder why my mother always used dark rum then lol

I use a family recipe which involves stout rather than brandy.

I use Delia's every other year (replace suet with butter though, still keeps for over a year). I improvise with dry fruit, a handful of cranberries is quite nice.

I use stout, rum and barley wine as in the Delia recipe. Always comes out really nicely. Can also recommend using the slow cooker to steam it, much easier than on the stove.

Another vote for the Delia recipe!

Oh and I use champagne (well, sparking white wine anyway) in place of the stout.

St Delia of the not great cook, every time.

Is now the right time to make it or am I already too late?!

Not too late! Stir up Sunday in November is traditional, although I do mine when I'm off work with the kids in the summer holidays

I've always made mine around Halloween time. I think you need at least three weeks for it to mature.

After having an accident when steaming and running the puddings and the pan, I now steam my puddings in the oven: 160degC, basins in roasting tin half full with hot water and covered in tinfoil.

I make the Delia pudding and cook in the slow cooker exactly like Reallybadidea. Really quite easy. I've made two in the past week which is super organised for me!