What could be better than a little bit of tradition on Christmas Eve? This Christmas pudding recipe is the perfect way to kick off celebrations before you need to put out the cookies and milk for Saint Nick.
Best get started early, as some of this prep can take a little while!Â
Ingredients
Method
Combine fruit and sherry in medium saucepan and set on low heat. Heat until first bubbles appear. Mix very well and transfer to a container with tight-fitting lid. Set aside at room temperature for 1 week.
Put butter, sugar and molasses in large bowl and beat with wooden spoon until incorporated. Transfer to bowl of a stand mixer and beat until mixture is light. Whisk eggs, yolks and vanilla in separate bowl. Add to butter mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat thoroughly before adding next amount. Fold in soaked fruit, then breadcrumbs.
Sift flour and spice together, fold in, alternating with milk, don’t overmix.
Technique for steaming:
Grease inside of a lock-lidded 1.75L or 2L pudding basin with butter, then put a disc of non-stick baking paper in bottom. Spoon in pudding mixture. Put a damp piece of calico, canvas or tea towel (1 layer) stretched on top, fit lid, clamp in place. Put in a large saucepan of simmering water, with a trivet in bottom. Keep water at a simmer during cooking, and keep water level at 5cm from top lip of basin.
Do not allow it to go higher as water may leak into basin, but also do not allow it to go too much lower as top part of pudding won’t cook at same rate. Cook for 6 hours, remove basin from saucepan. Set aside to cool completely in basin.
Refrigerate for at least 2 days, then store in fridge for up to 1 month. Before serving, drizzle with extra sherry, then put in a saucepan of simmering water, again with a trivet. Cook for 1 hour, until hot, invert onto platter. Serve warm with custard, berries and icing sugar.
Technique for boiling:
Start with a square 60cm piece of calico and wash thoroughly in cold water, until water runs clear. Do not use detergent or soap. Squeeze out, then transfer to saucepan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Drain well and lay on bench. Scatter with extra flour while still hot, leaving a 7cm margin on all sides.
While still warm, drape over a 2L bowl, then gently push in so it follows shape of bowl. Allow to cool. Spoon in pudding mixture, then pull corners up and bring together. Squeeze fabric to encase mixture. Hold in place, tie securely with kitchen string. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with a trivet in bottom. Saucepan must be deep enough to allow pudding to float freely without touching side or bottom. Tie additional piece of string around neck of fabric, with small tied loop at its end, close to fabric.
Put pudding in saucepan, then put a wooden spoon through tied loop and set across saucepan so pudding cannot sink. Cook for 6 hours, remove pudding from saucepan, set aside hanging from string to cool completely.
Drizzle with extra sherry and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 days. Pudding can be refrigerated for up to 1 month, but should be wrapped or placed in a container after 2 days. Before serving, put in saucepan of simmering water, again with a trivet. Cook for 1 hour, until hot, then carefully transfer to bowl the same size or just larger. Untie, carefully pull back calico as far as you can. Invert onto a platter, remove remaining calico. Serve warm with custard, berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Pudding tips
1. Use a combination of 200g pitted prunes, 100g raisins, 100g diced dried apricots, 100g diced dried apple, 100g chopped pitted dates, and 100g each currants, glacé cherries, dried blueberries and mixed dried peel.
2. If possible, avoid cream sherry. If sweet is not available, use semi-sweet or dry instead.
3. If you won’t use molasses in any other cooking, use treacle, golden syrup or honey instead. Molasses adds a rich flavour and a dark traditional colour.
4. The fruit mix at the end of Step 1 can be left for up to a month, and will only improve over time. If liquid goes below level of fruit, press down firmly. If it is still too low, top up with a splash of extra sherry.
5. Overmixing in Step 3 can make pudding tough, a problem found in baked cakes, but much more obvious in steamed or boiled products.
6. You can buy trivets to fit most saucepans, but you could also use a cooling rack. The trivet lifts the pudding to ensure there is no contact with the bottom of saucepan which would cause the pudding to burn.
7. To hang the pud to boil, use a wooden spoon or anything long that isn’t affected by heat or steam – dowel, metal pipe or sturdy conduit.
Finding the right equipment
Ah yes, the Christmas pudding may be a traditional dessert, but some of the equipment it requires does not fall under normal kitchen tools! Here are our top picks for those hard-to-find items that are essential to make the perfect plum pudding:Â
Pudding Basins
01
Avanti non-stick pudding steamer 2L
from $27.95, Kitchen Warehouse
Best for: making any kind of pudding!
This pudding steamer from Avanti can be used for any kind of pudding. With a 2-litre capacity this steamer features a nonstick coating for easy food release and mess-free clean-up. Compatible with gas electric and induction hobs, the pudding steamer can be used with nylon wooden and silicone utensils.
Key features:
- 2L
- Non-stick coating
- Compatible with gas electric and induction hobs
- Hand wash only
- Includes free pudding recipe
Saucepan trivets
02
Steamer rack trivet with heat-resistant silicone handles
from $10.99, Amazon
Best for: removing cooked items from a hot pot
Lower and raise your food easily without worry of burning yourself with a steamer rack trivet. Silicone handles make it easy to use, and they’re foldable for simple, compact storing.
Key features:
- Stainless steel
- Food grade
- Dishwasher safe
