Stir Up Sunday!!!

[bea]

Tommorrow or next weekend? The gloriously lovely dan lepard from the guardian says it's tommorrow!

Other websites say it's next sunday...

consensus please? - my wooden spoon is primed!! and ready to stir!

According to Delia in my Christmas book it's the 25th Sunday after Trinity but as I'm not an anglican I have no idea when that is!
In the DM yesterday it said that Sainsbury's have set up a helpline to offer help and advice to all those making Christmas puddings and christmas cake tomorrow, as the 21st is apparently the most popular day for making them. So I guess that means Stir Up Sunday is tommorow!

I vote today

I made my X,as pud 2 weeks ago but will be making my cake today (as 2 weeks ago my oven broke and my new one arrived yesturday!)

which recipe is everyone using? Am torn between delia and nigella.

It's today - last Sunday before Advent. Next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent (even though not December yet).

The Christmas cake is in the oven, just about to start work on the pud but have run out of almonds and glace cherries so DH is being dispatched to village shop. have never made either Christmas cake or pud before so this is a bit nerve wracking!

Im used my great great great grandmothers recipie, which has been used every year in our family for over 100 years now

It's today, although I did mine last night as the first Sunday Mass in the Catholic church is held on Saturday evening (DH was a bit !)

I ues Good Housekeeping's 'get-ahead' recipe here.

hoorah! am waiting for jill archer to announce it tonight as she always does and i always kick myself for missing it...

i am thoroughly ashamed to say that i am using delia's recipe and have got the waitrose pack... all weighed etc... i thought rather than buying all ingredients and having bags of numerous fruit in my cupboard for the rest of the year (as well as next year!!) ... i'll just get the bag as delias weighed everything and soaked it all for me!!!! (she's so kind!)

good luck everyone....! have prepared my tin!!! ... it took ages!!! all that double greaseproof and brown paper and string!

I'm Stirring Up today, with Nigella's recipe.

I have been tempted to stray to her Australian Christmas Pudding though - pudding-y fruits soaked in alcohol, stirred into ice-cream and then frozen in a pudding shape. I'm thinking an external chocolatey layer with vanilla insides, like a christmas pudding cassata.

I thought the Delia pre-weighed pack was exhtortion! Don't blame you but I am too tight, and I already had most of the ingredients in the store cupboard.

Have done one of Delia's pud recipes, it is steaming now. Cake (random recipe from internet but going well so far) nearly done.

I'm not convinced I am going to get round to a roast. I have shoved a piece of belly of pork in the oven but it may turn into sarnies!

bea where can I get this pack?

Just Waitrose I think. Daily Mail reckon the cost of buying ingredients separately is £23 - I suppose it could be if you never bake and have no store cupboard spices, dried fruit, flour etc. I've made 2 puds and a cake and spent less than a tenner though.

mmm... done!!

Right, the cake is out. Looks good I have to say. Recipe used syrup instead of treacle so it is golden rather than dark, which suits me. Mother will no doubt pull faces.

Timing perfect this yr; the pudding is steaming ATM another 2 or 3 hrs to go (I'm guessing the timing 'cos I played with Deel's recipe)It'll be fine though .

I don't like Christmas pudding so am not making one... and can't do mince pies yet because it is wrong to eat mince pies before December.

I did make some nice jars of red onion chutney yesterday though... does that count?

I've got number 1 pudding on the hob steaming away and the occasional peak has shown that it is coming on nicely! Number 2 won't be done till 7.30 though...
I made my cake about two months ago but I will spend steaming time finishing off hand made aprons for my sisters. Phew!

I've got number 1 pudding on the hob steaming away and the occasional peak has shown that it is coming on nicely! Number 2 won't be done till 7.30 though...
I made my cake about two months ago but I will spend steaming time finishing off hand made aprons for my sisters. Phew!

It counts Trills.

Puds have ages to go and pan nearly went dry a few minutes ago (whoops) I hope they will be OK - if not I will be doing some shifty Twatrose substitution.

For what it is worth I think the Delia kit is really good value. I bought all the ingredients (Sainsburys) as I am making puddings with them too, and it came to £29. For three puddings and one 9'' Christmas cake that isn't bad, esp including brandy, but for one cake that is loads. If I was only making the cake I would defo get the kit!

A slightly adapted Nigella pudding is experimentally steaming in the slow cooker. I had to sub a little bit with the ingredients, and forgot I needed to soak the fruit overnight, so I popped it on the hob to infuse instead.

Very much guessing with the timing in the slow cooker.

A few jars of mincemeat just made in anticipation of pie making at a more appropriate time!

Good idea to infuse in the booze! i soak the sultanas in good quality alcohol for about 2 or 3 weeks (no one likes raisins or crstallised fruit in my family) But is sure improves the pud!

My puds are still not done. I am starting to lose faith tbh.

yesterday I bought the Waitrose Delia 'kit' which isnt like me as I usually use the GH recipe linked in another post above... but I have loads on at the moment and this will save me time (i think) and I have very kindly been bought a hamper with a christmas pudding and lots of gorgeous chutneys & preserves in.

Anyway, was all prepared to get cracking with the cake and had the DC all ready to help 'stir up Sunday' after I came home from walking the dogs... DH oiled the wooden worktop in the kitchen so of course no baking happening today!

Might try to get it done tomorrow morning and in the oven before school run.

Planned to do mine today but feeling crappy so it'll have to be tomorrow now. Always make cake but this will be my first attempt at a pud and I am going to try the slow cooker. Is it acceptable to put 5p's in?

Nigella recommends cleaning your coins in coke first!