Does anyone usually buy a poncy and expensive Christmas Pudding? Need recommendations!

[OwlKiss]

We are hosting ILs for Christmas this year.

When we have been to stay with them in the past, MIL has always bought an expensive Christmas pudding, from somewhere like Harrods or Fortnum and Mason, and they are very vocal about the importance of high-quality puddings (they were very delicious, to be fair).

I am happy to go along with buying a luxury pudding, it is once a year after all - and I ^love" Christmas pudding. (I did think of making one, but it is too much pressure for a novice!)

I want to find one from a supplier, that (ideally) wasn't based in London, that would be different from what usually have, but just as good, rather than just copying them and ordering the Harrods one.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Duchy Originals (stocked in Waitrose) ones are gorgeous and not too stupidly expensive.

Or maybe try Bettys? Have not tasted, but I;d have thought it would be v good.

I think the Aldi one with gold on top won the Good Housekeeping taste test this year!

And Lidl won the Which? taste test.

Fortnum & Mason and Harrods didn't get a mention...

The white chocolate and cranberry pudding from carved angel is the nicest Christmas pudding I have EVER put my mouth!

www.thecarvedangel.com/product-category/christmas-puddings-cakes/

You can't really taste the white choc, it's just a gorgeously light and velvety pudding. drools

Or for something heavier, Harveys of Lewes brewery puddings are fab!

Always get ours from Coles We prefer the Brandy, Port and Walnut Christmas Pudding not least because it's spherical and looks like a proper Victorian pudding (or at least what I imagine one should look like!)

Aldi and Lidl would NOT be appreciated . I would have to hide the box and lie through my teeth.
I wonder if you get marked down in these tests for being excessively expensive?
I rather like the idea of Betty's, I am going to York before Christmas anyway, and would be quite easy to pick one up, but would still retain the whiff of exclusivity that I think PIL rather like.
Cranberry and white chocolate sounds lovely, but I think it is too non-traditional and might result in lots of raised eyebrows.

Provided you have a slow cooker for the steaming, Christmas Puddings are stupidly easy to make and home-made ones taste much, much nicer than bought ones. I have handed down family recipe which does us very well. I've made it for a few friends in lieu of a gift in recent years and had very positive feedback/requests for another one the following year.

I don't have a slow cooker, just a metal steamer pan with holes in the bottom that sits on a saucepan.
But I don't think I could handle the tension of serving my own pudding anyway .

Booths? Just got our booklet and they deliver nationwide.

It's a piece of piss to make Christmas pudding, honestly. You can sex it up with bits and bobs to make it posher, if you want. I bet you can buy those whole clementines bottled in liquor in the run up to Christmas, so you could even fake a Heston. If you have a steamer, the only really chore-ish element is the initial 7 hour steam (for a 2 pint pudding). I steam all of mine several weeks in advance in lidded plastic bowls from Lakeland, wrap the finished puds to keep them from harm and store at the back of the fridge. You can then either steam for 45 mins - 1 hour on the day (whilst the main meal is in full swing) or microwave it to reheat.

Make your own - you can do it in the microwave and it tastes much better than shop bought ones. If you make it now, it will be nicely matured by Christmas.,

How about the Heston from Waitrose hidden orange Christmas pudding? It's traditional enough but gorgeously orangey and zesty - my absolute fave.

husky I didn't know you could do a Christmas pud in a slow cooker. How do you do it, do you put some water in it and then put the pud in a separate container? Is there a special recipe that you need to use?

Homemade Christmas pudding is a million times better than the bought ones. I use the Nigella recipe and it is really easy.

YY to make your own.

Get really nice dried fruit - you can tart it up with dried Apricots or Figs?
Some good stout
Chopped apples
Nuts

I used vegetable oil (solid) because we're vegetarian and grated lemon/orange rind , I don't like candied peel.

Make sure you weigh everything , check it off the list ,

Mix it well and leave 24 hours covered.

You can add brandy or whatever alcohol you like.

Pack into your pudding basin, greaseproof paper circle, foil with a pleat in for expansion.
If you tie a muslin cloth round it to enclose and give you a handle , you don't need to faff with string.

Put something in the bottom of your pan to raise it - you don't want a burned bottom ( worse than a soggy bottom )

Let it cook away quietly , keep the water level topped up.
Honestly much much nicer and bonus points from PILs.

You can search out silver 6d or (safer) a whole almond to be King For The Day. (Don't put a coin in if you microwave it)

Cool it completely , I leave the greaseproof but do fresh foil.
Cool dark storage.
On the day, reheat.
Flame brandy et voila !

You put the pudding mixture in a pudding basin and cover it (lid or greaseproof/foil tied with string. Use the slow cooker as a steamer/bain marie - ~2-3” water in the bottom around the base of the bowl, whack on the heat and let it steam for a good 7 hours, topping up the water if necessary.

I put whole blanched almonds in my pudding as one of my additions to the family recipe, so that wouldn’t work for us as king for the day. I am contemplating making one with liquer cherries and almonds as an experiment this year, but will do a trad pud for the main event.

I am sort of wavering now about making my own. 7 hours though!

It doesn’t need much attention - you just need to make sure the pan/slow cooker doesn’t boil dry. You could make one of your own & have a Lidl pud in reserve just in case. Shop bought puds are usually so long dated, you can eat it next Xmas (2018).

The Lidl one, the 18 month matured one, is the best I've ever tasted!

Can anyone point me to a good pud recipe ? Feeling courageous after reading this thread !

Be very careful cooking puddings in a microwave, the high sugar content means they can catch fire

I bought a Champagne Christmas pudding from Betty's Tea Room in Harrogate last year using their internet shop and it was very nice
www.bettys.co.uk/bettys-champagne-christmas-pudding

I know you're leaning towards making one now But the Georgie Porgie puds are lovely. Have tried all the traditional except the Bailey's one, I hate Bailey's.

www.georgieporgiespuddings.co.uk/product-category/puddings/