Experienced xmas pud makers: recipes? recommendations and tips?

[titferbrains]

My mum has just asked if I want to make the xmas pud this year as our 90 yr old grannie is a bit, well, old for making it. So before I begin the delicate task of wheedling the recipe from her, any tips?

I've just looked at the Nigella recipe and it looks a bit mad, I just want something really tasty. Soaking fruit in coffee liqueur doesn't feel right somehow...

I'm an anal experienced and careful cook and good at following instructions. Just want to know if there are things I should know before I buy tons of dried fruit.

I went "fancy" last year and the pud was very disappointing - too many figs and stuff (out of the good food mag) I usually do the delia smith one - very plain and traditional and it never fails. Very simple and straight forward - you can try google or else its out of her complete cookery course.

I def think to keep it traditional and simple because that is what it is.

I also use Delia's Christmas Pudding recipe - traditional and failsafe!

yes, my vote is for Delia too!

Great, thanks I'll have a look at Delia then.

I didn't fancy the Delia one cause it has stout in it and I really didn't like the sound of it - but my MIL (who makes delicious puddings) says she puts stout in hers so now I'm reconsidering it.

I was looking at the Rachel Allen one which has whiskey in it. It's here

Being rather pregnant, with a T-total Mum and a 2 year old, I'm going to look for an alcohol free recipe. I know the booze will probably all burn off while cooking but my Mum gets headaches eating Sherry Trifle so I think its for the best...

ooh, maybe i should qualify mine.

first time i made delia's pud, i didn't have any stout so just made up the quantities with whatever was in the drinks cabinet and seemed suitable (brandy I'm guessing but it was a few years back). worked ok for me so that's what I do every year now

I do the Nigella one (in How to be a Domestic Goddess - nothing about coffee liqueur so wonder if your recipe is from a different book) and its really brill. Best Xmas pud dh and I have ever had, very moist and not too rich. I don't faff about with marron glace bits or anything else I cant get hold of - even Nigella says its not an exact science. Its v easy to make, can't recommend it enough.

Would it be a pain to type out Apprentice? I can't find it online anywhere

ok then!

Ingredients:-

100g currants
100g mixed raisins and sultanas
50g glace cherries chopped into quarters
50g dried blueberries
50g prunes roughly chopped
50g marron glace pieces chopped (I leave these out!)
60g candied peel (supposed to be posh stuff finely chopped but I use ready chopped!)
150ml rum
90g self raising flour
125g white breadcrumbs
150g shredded suet
1 quince (wtf?!) or medium cooking apple to provide 120g roughly grated
150g dark brown sugar
half teasp mixed spice
pinch of salt
3 large eggs
zest of 1 orange
125ml vodka for flambeing
1 and half litre plastic pudding basin with fitted lid (can get at Lakeland)

Nigella suggests that if you can get hold of/dont like some of the fruit just leave it out and then make up amount by adding more of some of the other fruit.

Right, will post before Iose this and then do a separate post for method

Thank you Apprentice. That was fast!

My Mum has a quince tree in her back yard and she's always looking for things to do with the fruits.

Here goes:-
Soak the fruit in the rum overnight.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and add soaked fruit. Butter the pudding basin and put mixture in it. Cover with a piece of greaseproof in which you have folded a pleat, and put on the lid. Boil or steam the pudding for 3 and half hours. Rewrap the pudding and store somewhere cool until Christmas. REheat in the same way, thats to say, steam or boil for another 3 and half hours. Then flambe (if you wish) and bring ceremoniously to the table.

I don't use vodka but brandy for flambeing, and I have found I can get all ingredients except marron glace and quince (I use apple) from Tescos. Not cheap but easy! Good Luck!

You'll be making a lot of puddings to use up all those quinces!

Thanks I was looking in Feast so clearly Nige was trying to be a bit clever to follow up the first one. Will look in how to now and compare to Delia.

We do a Good Food Diabetic one, it is very tasty. No-one is diabetic it just has less alcohol (just some Guinness, I add copious amounts of brandy butter).
It's on the website and is very easy and very lovely.

Another vote here for Delia - I do include the stout however and it has never given me a hangover!!

I used to make Christmas puds for the sheer joy of getting to stir it in October and make a WISH, it was part of our Xmas traditions. All the DCs even the tiniest took a turn with the spoon to give it a big-eyed solemn stir, feeling a shiver of Christmas magic.

I always used to add a grated apple, and/or carrot to the mix, which helps keep it moist.

Just don't be tempted to add the traditional silver threepenny bit, giving extra luck to the person who finds it in their portion. I had to abandon this practice after an unfortunate choking incident involving Grandad. Fortunately Grandad survived, but we never saw the silver threepence again