Christmas Pudding
Traditional Irish Christmas Pudding.
This recipe comes from my mother, who has used it for many years. I added the soaking of the fruit in hot water.
This amount makes one large pudding and two smaller ones (4–5 quarts), so scale down to your needs.
Stick a sprig of holly in the top before bringing to the dinner table. When it’s placed on the dinner table, heat a tablespoon of brandy or whisky over a flame until it catches fire, then pour over the pudding. Turn down the lights to enjoy the blue-tinged flames.
Serve with Brandy Butter.
| 1 lb | Raisins |
| 1 lb | Sultanas |
| 1 lb | currants |
| 1 lb | suet (if you can’t get suet, you could use ½lb butter) |
| ¾ lb | mixed peel |
| ½ tsp | powdered nutmeg |
| ½ tsp | cinnamon |
| ¼ lb | ground almonds |
| ½ lb | brown sugar |
| small glass | brandy (whiskey would do) |
| pinch | salt |
| 4 apples | minced |
| 6 ozs | cherries (can be assorted colours) |
| 11 or 12 | eggs beaten |
| 1 lb | breadcrumbs |
| ¼ lb | plain flour |
Place the fruit in a mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Add whiskey or brandy. Stir well. Let the fruit soak overnight, stirring occasionally. Keep covered. It will plump up considerably. An hour before baking, drain the fruit thoroughly. Be sure to press out excess liquid.
Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Grease bowls. I put two layers of tinfoil on top and tie with string. Cook for approx 9 hours (doesn’t have to be consecutive). You can steam them but be careful not to let the water boil away. What I do now is to put them standing in a roasting tray in the oven in about two inches of water and top up the water when necessary. Medium oven, about 150C or 300F.
Just heat on the day.
See also Christmas Cake: