Nigella Lawson's christmas pudding (spicing question) AND q about plastic pudding bowls

[Pruni]

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I have no responses to offer to your questions, Pruni. But at least now you have had a reply.

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I do a steamed sponge pudding in a plastic pudding bowl with lid and it is fine.

which pud? the non-conformist one from feast?

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Hi Pruni, no, I put the pudding bowl in a steamer that sits above/ on a saucepan full of boiling water and then put the lid on top. I'm not sure if this works for a Christmas pudding or not as I've never made one and my Mum uses a metal pudding bowl and sits it in a saucepan of boiling water. Sorry!

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sorry but not able to asnwer your question, but your bowl query has got me thinking. I'd quite like to make some individual size puds as pressies. But defo want to put them in plastic bowls. Where did you get your bowls from and do you know if they do them in small sizes.
Plus if I am giving them as pressies, ho long would the puds keep for- would I cook them and then they'd be kept to be reheated or give them 'raw' as it where (people make them in advance so I am assuming they leave them in their 'raw' state).
Sorry to crash!

Not sure about her recipe as I haven't checked that one out but will cos I'm making mine this weekend.

Re bowls ... plastic basin with lid fine. They all say to steam it (veg steamer above boiling water fine) but I usually boil mine for the required time - just set it in the pan, water to half way up and keep topping up the water. It's fine - the basin won't melt!

Happy cooking

Oh, when you put the pudding mix in the bowl, don't fill it quite all the way up to the top as it'll rise/swell with cooking and cover with a double layer of greaseproof/baking paper, cut to size and set on top of pudding with lid on top of that. You just need to make sure that water doesn't splash around top of basin as if this happens, the pudding will get wet and be gooey.

Sorry ... probably spelling out the obvious (and not reading before I post) but tie lid on with string & make a little handle so as it's easier to lift.

hettie i have a distant relative who makes dozens of puds given to everyone, she cooks them first and then they sit for weeks to mature and are delivered in greaseproof paper. no idea how this is achieved, but i do know you steam them for about an hour to serve. google? this is specialist stuff oh and you can get small pudding basins at john lewis

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pruni = specialist . 1/2 tsp does sound feeble btw, i find a lot her recipes need checking first. did manage to melt my bowl once, got too close to direct heat but luckily sponge was ok.

Pruni ... check out Delia's recipe. I usually do it and it's really nice - it would give you an idea of spices etc so as you could adjust Nigella's if you thought so.

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Think the recipes just use a veg steamer but haven't a notion about lids - I'd have the same problem as you which is why I just boil mine like they did in the old days!!!

Hi - I have made Nigella's pudding for several years and it is lovely. It probably is quite lightly spiced, but the pudding is fairly light for a Christmas pud so doesn't seem underspiced (to me at any rate). TBH it is the nicest recipe I have used.

No help on the plastic bowl front, though - I always use a proper pudding bowl.

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