Homemade Christmas Pudding - worth it?

[CloudyVanilla]

So Christmas pudding is usually somewhat neglected in our house but DP really loves it and I did have one a couple of years ago that I really loved.

I fancied having a go at making one this year but the ingredients tot up to the same if not more than a fancy one.

I want fruity, fragrant, squidgy and indulgent. Is it worth doing a homemade one or are the store bought ones just as good in reality?

I've made the Eliza Acton one for a few years now. What I like about the recipe is that it doesn't have a lot of ingredients (eg 1 teaspoon of this, 1 teaspoon of that, a pinch of nom etc, 2 unicorn tears). I cheat and use pre-soak fruit.

A tip I found on here was to steam the pudding in the slow cooker. I make my pudding and it slow cooks for a day.

Another vote for delia's recipe, I made mine this week, I made three, I've made then the last few years because me and DS are coeliac and you can't really buy a big GF one, they are lovely and keep really well

We have a family pudding recipe which is used every year. You can't go wrong with steaming a pudding whereas my cakes have been hit and miss.

[quote WutheringTights]I'm not usually a Nigel Slater fan but this pudding is the best Christmas pudding I've ever tasted. The figs and the ginger really give it something extra.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmaspudding_71054[/quote]
I second this - it's the loveliest pudding I've ever tasted and I make it every year now. Other Christmas puddings pale in comparison!

Definitely worth making your own, whichever recipe you go for.

Always do Delia's here too. Every year I say I'll buy one because I can't be bothered, but I can never bring myself to!