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.

@Seafoodeatit - Just double checked with DH who does all of the Christmas pudding. Small pudding basin steams for about 4 hours, medium about 5-6, he doesn't often do a large size but about 6-7 he thinks. You can tell when it's done as the pudding goes a dark colour though.

Delia's - never fails. I make two and keep one for the following year.

Following this with interest as my mum loves Xmas pud, so thinking of making one for her this year. In terms of microwaving it on the day - can I ask, do people just microwave individual portions or do you need to nuke the whole thing? If it’s the whole thing how long do you blast it for?

Nigel Slater for us, I’ve tried loads of recipes and this was the one most of our family asked me to make again. i make 5-6 1pint puddings to give out to the whole family.

Do you all boil yours in a pudding cloth or pudding basin?

My recipe is a very old GH one, but similar to the trad ones quoted - inc. lemon and orange zest, plenty of mixed spice, suet and the essential brown ale. Smells fantastic when mixing it all up.
I hardly ever make it very early - have been know to make it only 10 days before, and it's always very nice regardless.

However I never re-steam or boil it on the day - hob is invariably busy with other things. I just turn it out on to a plate (a knife dipped in very hot water is useful here) put it back in the (trad ceramic) pudding basin, and then heat in the microwave for about 5 mins, rest a bit, and then a further 5.

It's then all ready for flaming. Which I do by putting the plate with pud on a tray, heating about 2 tbsp each of brandy and vodka in a small frying pan until they catch, quickly pouring it over the pud and taking to the table - someone is always instructed to turn the dining room lights off first, to get the full flaming effect.

When I microwave mine I find a similar size one in the shops and follow their nuking instructions :-D
Be careful as it does burn if you don't do it slowly with standing time.

When steaming in the past in a pan I put cloths over it. In the slow cooker I just cover in clinging and ensure that water is below the clinging line when it bubbles so the pudding doesn't get wet.

I used to make Delia's christmas pudding, but I have to be honest and say that, in recent years, I have stopped bothering. By the time they've eaten roast goose and all the trimmings, none of the dses want pudding at all, and dh and I only want a little bit - so I tend to buy a Finest one from Tesco, and they are just as nice as the ones I used to make.

I like the ones that either have a whole clementine hidden in the middle, or that are topped with glace cherries. And brandy butter is a must.

If you make or buy loads of brandy butter, you can eat the pud nobody's had room for, for days afterwards. Stick some in the microwave with brandy butter on top, yum.

I always make 2 quite big ones - one's nearly always enough on the day so dh and can go on eating the other at least until New Year.

Following this with interest! Am making one for the first time this year and am swaying towards Nigella, but am open to persuasion.

Using a slow cooker to do the initial steam and then reheat is an absolute game-changer. It is so much easier (and safer) than using a steamer on the hob. I do mine on high for the same length of time as in the recipe which has always worked perfectly.