Please help me find what I need to make my christmas pudding

[LittleMissNosey]

I want to make Delias traditonal pud so I need barley wine but have no idea where to buy it. I tried to buy it from Sainsburys but they do not stock it.

I also need cheesecloth to wrap my pudding in, but where do I find this?

TIA

Come on ye wise MN'ers

Have you looked in an off-license?

cheesecloth in a fabric shop

'barley wine' is actually a type of beer
My tesco stock this one but in its absence any really strong lager would do - you need about 8% ABV - or just use extra stout.

Thanks for finding that barley wine MrsBadger. I've already have stout as Delia's recipe says to use both stout and barley wine, do you think I should just double the amount of stout I use?

And I should go into any fabric shop and ask for cheesecloth?

Wouldn't a muslin do?

Just a normal muslim that you buy when you have a baby?

yes, she says in th ebook if you can't get barley wine just replace it with more stout

and yes a (clean!) baby muslin would be fine, but unless you still have them kicking about a metre of cheeselcoth (enough for at least 4 puddings) should be less than a fiver.

I always make Delia's traditional pud, but I don't remember using cheesecloth or anything - what's it for? Are you adventurously going off recipe and making a round one instead of in a pudding basin?

Ah I don't have the book, I'm using an online recipe, so thanks Mrs Badger. Saves me buying more ingrediants.

I do have muslims - dd isn't quite 2 yet and I still have them in the teatowel drawer.

Also does anyone know if the almonds Delia says to use (chopped and skinned) are just a normal bag of almonds that you buy in the supermarket chopped up?

MUSLIN!!!

Oh dear

Oh, I see, you're wrapping it after it's done for traditional prettiness. Mmmmm I could eat some pudding right now.

The almonds are just regular blanched almonds like these. You can buy them whole and chop them like those in the picture (which I usually do) or get the ready chopped ones. I've used ones with skins before in an emergency, and it doesn't really make a difference.

I always use extra stout instead of the barley wine, too.

Do you make Delias PlasticWoman? Have you any more advice/tips?

This is my first time making one .. can you tell!

Sorry PW, just read your earlier post! Do you find it easy to make?

Yes, it's easy peasy. I've made them every year since I was about 13, and they've not gone wrong yet...
My only tip would be to make sure you make a mini one for yourself to eat straight away! It's tortuous to have your home smelling of lovely spicy, fruity things steaming away for hours, and then not be able to eat the finished product. So I make a little one on the side as a reward for all the effort.

That is a fab tip!

Do you put a coin in? If so do you ust throw in it when mixing or do you wrap it up? And what coin should it be - its unlikely I'm going to come across a sixpence

I don't put anything in these days - I used to have half a dozen little silver charms that I'd secrete within it (after it was cooked). A few years ago, at the end of the meal, there were only four left - BIL doesn't really chew his food properly, and had accidentally eaten two of them. Since then, I've left them out...

I can understand why!

Might skip the coin part

A neighbours grandson spent Christmas day and night in hospital after swallowing a 5p in his christmas pud and it got stuck.

Don't put it in the mix!

I think I'll give puds a go this year. I always do a cake but not puds

Definitely will not be adding a coin now.

I have thought about making a cake but I think there would be loads left over and that puts me off, plus I think I would be absolutely rubbish at icing it.

Does anyone make their own mincemeat? I'm thinking of doing that this year. I made mincepies for the first time last year but bought the mincemeat, this year I would like to do it properly

I am chronic at icing so I use the ready rolled stuff . I only cut it off anyway as I hate the stuff.

My sister makes her own mincemeat and it is FAR better than shop bought stuff. I'm sure she uses Queen Delia's recipe.

I think I'll use Delias as well - can't go wrong then!

I've done it a few times too and have also just used Guiness rather than Barley Wine and it's yummy!

re icing, I cheat and put a wide ribbon round the edge, then Supercook Ready-to-use royal icing on the top - it comes in a tub, you microwave for 30s or whatever till it's spreadable, smear it on, fluff it with a knife to look like snow (we are v trad chez badge) and you are done

dead easy, much more so than ready-to-roll