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

I find Delia's christmas recipes a bit heavy on the citrus: I usually cut back a bit.

Don't worry too much about the ingredients. There are about 20 different things in there so if you go a little over/under or substitute, then it won't matter too much.

The really important bit is to let the mixture rest and take up moisture before boiling - that's the bit that makes the difference.

I really need to make my Xmas pudding, i have done my Minemeat is is jarred up looing tasty in my cupboard, whaen does everyone make thier Xmas Cake?

Great advice about the icing, sounds like I could manage that and it'll look lovely if I could make it look like snow. I'm definatly going to do a cake now.

Just ordered my jars and for the mincemeat, can't wait for them to arrrive. Getting very exicited!

I'd also like to know when everyone makes their cake

I make my cake early/mid November and feed it when I remember!

I have made one early December and it was just as tasty though.

Think I've made a mistake - I'm very confused. I've just bought some 1lb bowls to put my christmas puddings in, but then reaslised Delia says I need a 2pint pudding bowl.

Can I use the bowls I have or do I need to but a 2pt bowl?

have you really bought 1lb bowls ie one-pound bowls?

or are they 1 litre bowls?

if 1 litre then they are (give or take) 2 pints

if you can't work it out fill them with water and see how much they hold

They are one pound bowls - not one litre. I brought them online, and I just checked and they are made of foil so a right mess up. I'm going to see if I can get my money before they dispatch them.

I am an idiot.

or make twice as many little puddings?

We do this Delia recipe every year.

Barley wine is sold as a brand called Gold Label, in small cans. Some of the off license chains sell it, and it is listed on sainsbury's shopping site.

You will probably have to buy a 4-pack, but it keeps perfectly well year to year..

Don't worry about the pudding bowl size, use whatever you have.

If you end up with 2 smaller puddings, they will take a little less time to steam (altho' you can't really oversteam them). I usually make 2 X 1 pint puddings, and steam each one for about an hour less than the recipe says.

So make the same mixture up as Delia says but just put into smaller bowls and it will be ok? Will it matter if they are foil?

How will I know when they are steamed enough?

aaargh, I think foil may react with the acid in the fruit over a couple of months.

I use Lakelands plastic pudding bowls.

LittleMiss, I think Delia tells you about the steaming time for small puds in her book?

Let me know if you can't see it, I'll dig my book out.

So I am still an idiot.

Thanks clumsy, I found this:

If you want to make individual Christmas puddings for gifts, this quantity makes eight 6 oz (175 g) small metal pudding basins. Steam them for 3 hours, then re-steam for 1 hour.

No, I've just re-read, and see that you don't have her xmas book, so it probably doesn't say in your recipe. Give me a couple of hours (off on school run in a minute), and I'll dig the book out to give you the timing.`

X post

Right to be on the safe side (and because I'm obviously a blithering idiot) I've ordered a ceramic 2 pint pudding basin.

I have no idea what I'm going to use 4 11b foil pudding bowls for though

Steak & kidney puds.

Oh good idea, I could make little pies, neve tried that before!

Does anyone know if you have to steam them as soon as they are made, or can they go in the fridge for steaming the next day?

Christmas pudding, that is