some questions about homemade christmas pudding

[whoneedssleepanyway]

Hi everyone

So I made Christmas pudding for the first time yesterday (well unless you count all the years I made it as a child with my mum). I used the recipe from Nigella's Christmas book and it seemed fairly straightforward. I made 2 puddings, 1 x 1pint and 1 x 2 pint,

1. How do you know when you have cooked it for long enough?

Nigella said that three hours steaming for each would be plenty (she says 5-6 hours for 3 pint pudding but less if doing 2 smaller ones). Well I did 3.25 hours for the small one and 3.75 hours for the bigger one. The small one is darker than the big one, both feel a bit sticky to the touch on the top. How do you know you have cooked them long enough. A lot of books I have since looked at seem to say 4 hours upwards even for a 2 pinter and some even talk about 5 to 6 hours? What happens if you haven't cooked it long enough at this stage.

2. Should you "feed" the pudding?

Nigella just says wrap it up in the lidded basin in foil till the big day. I seem to remember adding a spoonful of brandy or something one a week or am I thinking of the Christmas cake?

I had high hopes for these puddings as Nigella literally raved about them in her book (but I guess she would ) but am now having slight panic set in that I haven't cooked them enough or something.

Thanks

I have made the delia xmas puddings for years and have found that you can't over steam them; of course you don't want the water to dry out; better more than less so don't worry. The pudding 'comes away from the side of the bowl' when it's cooked. Just resteam the one that seems undercooked for an hour or so.

Also if you soaked your fruit in booze before making it you won't have to 'feed' the puddings. St. deels says to feed the cake (I always soak my fruit in booze for weeks before making the cake and pudding).

BTW she's right to rave about them they're amazing!!

Thanks ppeatfruit. The smaller one def cooked then as doing as you say. May give bigger one another hour today. I soaked fruit for two days so won't feed. I am v hopeful now!