Looking for amazing Christmas pudding recipe

[mistermagpie]

I have never made a Christmas pudding but I love it. Every bastard year we have been forced to go to MIL's house and she refuses to have it (even if I offer to buy/make one) but this year I have convinced DH to have Christmas in our house so I'm having what I want for once!

So, please share you favourite pudding recipes and any top tips for making it.

No help at all but I'm in the same
boat and will make one for the first time this year! I LOVE it!
My mum used to make Delia's which was lovely but I am in the market for the ultimate pudding so keen to hear more ideas!

www.asdagoodliving.co.uk/amp/food/recipes/masterclass-christmas-cake

I use this one every year and everyone loves it, I feed it spiced rum for a few weeks before putting on marzipan and icing

Sorry just noticed you put pudding and not cake

MIL makes a fantastic Christmas pudding for 40years from the Daily Diary recipe book or something like that (the one which used to be delivered by the milkman)and DH and I have copied the recipe as he now makes it too I had to email the recipe to my parents a few years ago as they loved it when DH made it (though we halve the recipe):

8oz self raising flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 nutmeg grated
1 tsp mixed spice
12 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
12oz beef suet (we use veg)
4 oz Demerara sugar
1lb currants
1lb sultanas
1lb raisins
4 oz candied peel
2 tbl almonds (blanched and shredded)
1 large cooking Apple (peeled and grated)
Ring & juice of 1 Orange
6 eggs
1/4 pint milk/ale/stout
4 medium size pudding basins or 1 large & 2 small ones

Method

1 Well grease basins & have large saucepan of boiling water ready.

2 Sift flour with salt & spices into a very large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients & grated Apple & mix well. Beat eggs till frothy add orange juice and stout: add to mixture. Stir well. Turn into prepared basins - fill to the top.

3 Butter a large round of greaseproof paper for each basin, cut a piece of foil to same size. Put both rounds together foil uppermost fold across centre to form a 1 inch pleat and lay over basins with buttered greaseproof side next to pudding mixture. Place in saucepans of fast boiling water to cover. Cook large puddings for 6 hours, small for 4 hours. Boil steadily replenishing with boiling water.

4 When cooked, lift basins out carefully, leave foil and greaseproof paper on pudding until cold before re- tying with freshly buttered greaseproof paper and foil and storing in a dry cupboard.

5 When ready to serve at Christmas boil or steam a further 2hours.

Forgot to say stout used always has to be mackeson stout. I use the others up in a beef stew recipe which tastes fantastic too. Good luck with making the Christmas pudding.

I do nigellas christmas pudding. Is yummy, and the leftover pedro ximinez (I get it from Sainsburys) is a delicious Christmassy drink (like liquid christmas pudding). I actually find it easier to make than Christmas cake.
www.nigella.com/recipes/ultimate-christmas-pudding

The best I've ever made was Mrs Beeton's but I usually make Delia's now.

Thanks so much, I'll have a proper look at Delias as well! And when do you make it?! I know nothing other than how much I like eating it...

Nigella Christmas here too, super easy and tastes amazing. I usually make mine late November.

I made Mrs Beetons Xmas pudding last year, having never made one before. I chose it because it had a relatively short ingredient list (when I looked at some of the other recipes, the list was much longer to the point where it would have been cheaper just to buy one).

I used Lidl pre soaked fruit mix, which can be used for puddings or mince pies.

This is my basic recipe I have been making for 40 years (Well as a kid I just helped stir it...)
It makes 2 Christmas puddings.
Ignore 'small' wineglass of alcohol I put in lots more, but I guess it depends how alcoholic you want it to taste. But I work to the rule of thumb that once removed from the mixing bowl there should be maybe a desert spoon of free liquid at the bottom else it is a bit dry. If you don't like alcohol flavour fruit juice does work and it does still appear to keep.
As I say this is a basic recipe, I often add other things, e.g I like brazil nuts so add some of those, sometimes I add glace cherries. Basically if you like it, add it!

I tend to slow cook mine over night but if doing on the hob make sure you top the water up regularly. It can be microwaved on Christmas day rather than resteaming if you are short on space in the kitchen.

6oz finely chopped suet
6oz raisins
6oz sultanas
6oz currants
2oz almonds (chopped)
3oz plain flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3ox breadcrumbs
6oz moist brown sugar
3oz chopped candied peel
Grated rind of one lemon
2 eggs
1 small wineglass of brandy, sherry or fruit juice
A little milk.

Sift together all the dry ingredients; beat the eggs and add them and the liquids, Stir for as long as all the wishes take.

Steam for 5-6 hours.

I use a recipe with no sugar ( DF has diabetes) there's enough sugar in the fruit , and Trek or solid veg oil (DH and I are vegetarian)
The DC won't eat it .

I use a good glug of stout
Apple
fresh grated orange and lemon rind

You can use cranberries or craisins (dried cranberries) but I use glace cherries.
Not keen on currants and raisins , I like sultanas.

And a whole blanched almond , whoever finds it is King/Queen for the day

Always Delia's, follow it to the letter and make on the last Sunday in Nov at the latest. I do her Christmas cake at the same time as there is a cross over on ingredients so it saves waste. I get compliments on both every year.

Another vote for Nigella.

This is one.

This is my childhood.

This is the one from my great-great-great grandmothers cookbook. Divide it by at least a quarter unless you want to be eating the stuff all year

Can you tell me if you steam your puddings again on Christmas day to warm them or do you put them in the oven/microwave? I’ve made Delia’s pud twice, it tastes lovely but I find steaming it on Xmas day a real faff.

Honestly, the microwave on the day is the way to go. Or the slow cooker in the corner if an early start suits better. Bugger steaming it on the day. That being said, no one in our house likes it so it’s a steamed syrup pudding for us. Double the recipe and there are still no leftovers.

Make it early, make it well and allow it time to cure. Then nuke it on the day for ease.

I put mine in the slow cooker on christmas day, i just put the basin in and then fill the slow cooker up with hot water up to its middle and leave for a couple of hours (I also cook it in there in the first place)

I make Nigella’s “Non Conformist Christmas Pudding” from Feast. With a few fruit amendments for personal taste. It’s suet free and lovely.

I do both. Sometimes I will steam it on the day, sometimes I microwave it. Being a vicar it can be a bit hectic so in reality depends on how organised I am and if I remember to steam it early enough

Never made it before so I apologise in advance if this is a silly question but when you're boiling the pudding how much water are you putting in the pan? @Thecatisboss How long would you boil the pudding for if you halved the ingredients and cooked it one basin?

Nigel slaters recipe is amazing and is not a very dark pudding so it's also loved by small
People in our house too goodfood.uktv.co.uk/recipe/christmas-pudding/