Description
This Traditional British Christmas Pudding is a make-ahead, fruit and brandy-filled steamed dessert bursting with rich flavors and festive spices. Perfectly moist and dense, it’s a classic holiday treat infused with sultanas, raisins soaked in brandy, currants, and a hint of citrus, steamed to tender perfection and served flambéed with brandy sauce or cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup good quality salted butter
- 2 eggs
- 3 oz freshly squeezed orange juice (made up to 5 oz / 150 ml with brandy or rum)
- 1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in brandy)
- 3 tbsp mixed candied peel (optional)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup heaped dark brown sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
- ½ cup Zante currants
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 2 tsp finely grated orange rind (from one fresh orange or lemon)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pudding Basin: Butter the pudding bowl thoroughly and line the bottom with a disc of parchment or waxed paper, buttering the paper as well to prevent sticking.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: Beat together the butter and dark brown sugar until the mixture is soft and creamy, ensuring even blending.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Eggs: Incorporate the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and eggs into the mixture, mixing well to combine.
- Combine Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the fresh breadcrumbs, soaked raisins, sultanas, Zante currants, grated apple, orange rind, orange juice mixed with brandy or rum, and candied peel if using. Mix thoroughly to form a consistent pudding batter.
- Fill the Pudding Basin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared basin, pressing down and flattening the top evenly.
- Seal the Pudding: Cut a disc of waxed or parchment paper to cover the top of the pudding, butter it and place it on top. Then tear a piece of parchment paper and aluminum foil large enough to cover the top and halfway down the sides of the basin. Place the foil over the parchment and create a pleat down the center to allow for expansion during cooking.
- Secure the Covering: Tie string under the lip of the bowl tightly to hold the papers in place and tie another string over the top as a handle for easy removal. Ensure it is secure to keep the steam in during cooking.
- Steam the Pudding: Place the pudding basin on a trivet in a large pot with water coming halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 6 hours, checking the water level every hour and topping up as needed to avoid burning.
- Cool and Store: After steaming, carefully remove the basin from the pot, discard the foil and paper, wipe the rim clean, and cover with fresh parchment or wax paper. Store in a cool place until ready to serve.
- Reheat to Serve: When ready to serve, steam the pudding again for 2 hours or microwave it for a few minutes until piping hot. Let it stand for a few minutes before unmolding onto a heatproof serving dish.
- Flambé and Serve: Pour brandy over the hot pudding and carefully ignite in a safe area. Once the flames subside, slice and serve with brandy sauce, butter, thick cream, lightly whipped cream, or custard.
Notes
- This is one of the most traditional British Christmas recipes, often made weeks in advance to allow the flavors to mature.
- Mixed spice can be made by blending cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice if you don’t have a ready mix.
- Soaking the raisins in brandy overnight intensifies the flavor and moistness of the pudding.
- Using a pudding basin and steaming method ensures an even, moist texture that baking cannot replicate.
- Take care when flambéing to do so in a safe, flame-safe area.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 426 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
