Who makes their own Christmas pudding?

[lilibet]

Never have doen before but fancy trying this year

Any recipes, advice tips?

Do you really have to steam it for hours on Christmas day?

My MIL makes ours and I just microwave it on the day as she will have already cooked it.
I guess Delia would be a good place to start - need to make them quite early (ie now) I believe

There's a great My Naughty Little Sister story (By Dorothy Edwards) about a Grandma who always makes hers on firework night to dstract herself from the fireworks which she hates. In the story she gets the child (who is scared of fireworks) to stay behind and help her make the pudding.

I've always thought this a great idea.

Sorry. Useless post, but I'll be watching this thread for inspiration.

My dad makes ours. Last year we ate one of the ones made the previous year - it was still delicious! He cooks his on Christmas day in a slow cooker as you can just ignore it without worrying it will boil dry.

I use Delia's recipe - it's easy to do, you just slosh a load of things together in a bowl. Traditionally, Xmas pud is made on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent starts.

When steaming mine I do them in the oven rather than on the hob. It saves the kitchen steaming up and you shouldn't need to keep checking whether it's boiled dry. Put your filled, covered pudding bowl into a deepish roasting dish and fill the pan half-full of very hot water. Cover the entire thing with aluminium foil, like a tent, tucking it tightly round the rim of the dish. Place in the oven, being careful not to tip it in case the water spills. I can't recall what temp I cook at, maybe Gas mark 3, for the number of hours your recipe states. I reheat in the microwave but it could be reheated in the oven, as above.

I make my own to my Grandfathers recipe. I cook them in a slow cooker and then reheat them in one on Christmas day - takes about 4-5 hours to reheat. I made 3 last year and we only used one at Christmas so I have 2 for this year - the older they are, the better

I can search out the recipe if you are interested but it may take me a while to post it so it might be better to email it to you if you want it.

I do delias recipe too - in fact i have one steaming away as i type. It is really easy to do, and like others said is scrummy.

Those of you who use Delia's recipe - can you get the barley wine she recommends? It's impossible to buy up here, so I put more cider/stout in. I wonder if it tastes any different with it in?

Yukka, a fruity, sickeningly-sweet pud.

Sticky toffee MUCH better!

My MIL makes ours' and gives us one to take home on Xmas day, so by the time we eat them they're always one year old. Taste fine though! We heat them up in the pressure cooker. Whenever I make a steamed pudding I use the pressure cooker, so that's what I would do were I to make a X Pudding from scracth. It cuts cooking time down to about one third or half of normal steaming. Don't have a recipe though.

Which reminds me - nearly 1st November: time to bake the X Cake.

Everyone in the family must stir it and make a wish. Compulsory in our family!

I do but I use a completely microwaved recipe. I know it sounds awful but actually it's fab and very moist. Best of all it's dead easy and you can do it just one day before if you forget until then. Not that I do, of course. I can type it in if you want- it's from a ye ancient out-of-print Sainsbury's book.

looks like Delia gets the popular vote.

So I can microwave it on Christmas day?

Anyone got a recipe for figgy pudding? I had a bought one from M&S a few years ago and it was lovely, much lighter than the stodgy trad pud, but they've not done it since. Much preferred it to the normal Christmas pud.

I'm currently steaming my Nigella Lawson "Non Conformist Christma s Pudding" from her Feast book. It's rather larger than I imagined as I didn't notice that it serves 12 adults...

i made one the other day!

it took 10 hours to cook, and you need to reheat it for 2 hours on christmas day

lovely recipe from sainsburys magazine

Or you could buy one from Traidcraft

I usually buy one (from Fortnum and Masons actually!!) but this year I offered to take one when we go to my parents and thought "oooh, I'll make one, that'll be a nice idea..."

Mine only takes 4 hours plus a couple on Christmas day. Can't imagine managing to remember to start it early enough to cook one for 10 hours!

I also use Delia - and the smell when you're cooking it is so fantastic! Nights drawing in, chill in the air, spicy, fruity, boozy smell from the kitchen. I feel like an excited child - Christmas is coming! I feel the same when I smell a satsuma!!