Our friend Karen aka Lavender & Lovage has several Christmas Pudding recipes but this recipe for a 1930’s Special Christmas Pudding is, as the title says, very special. Taken from a Sainsbury’s leaflet from the 1930’s, Karen has halved the original recipe that made two large puddings, as she says even as pudding lovers, would be too much for her and the family.
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This recipe yields a 2lb (900g) light, fruity and boozy pudding, with extra almonds and an apple; adding to the fruitiness of this tempting pud.
If you make it now (mid-end of November), it will have matured nicely just in time for Christmas Day.
Karen has made one more substitution to this recipe; using butter instead of suet, as she prefers the richness of butter to suet.
Once cooked, store the pudding in a dark, cool place, such as the larder or the pantry. On Christmas Day, you can reheat it in the microwave, or by steaming for 1 hour in a multi-cooker or in a steamer. Serve it with white sauce, rum or brandy sauce, brandy butter, cream or custard.
Special Christmas Pudding Ingredients
- 200g sultanas
- 200g raisins
- 100g currants
- 100g mixed candied citrus peel
- 3 tablespoons brandy or port
- Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 100g self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 80g fresh white or wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 80g butter, softened
- 50g flaked almonds, roughly crushed or chopped
- 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 30mls milk mixed with 30mls brandy or port
Method
- Place all of the dried fruit into a large bowl and add the brandy or port, or a mixture of both. Cover and leave overnight.
- The next day, add all remaining ingredients to the dried fruit, Mix thoroughly until a soft dropping consistency has been achieved.
- Grease a 2lb (900g) pudding basin with butter, and place a circle of buttered greaseproof paper in the bottom of the pudding basin.
- Spoon the mixture into the pudding bowl, smoothing down the surface slightly.
- Cover with buttered greaseproof paper and muslin pudding cloths or aluminium foil, and tie them down around the rims, making a loop for a handle to lift the pudding basins out of the steamer later.
- Place a trivet or a rack in the bottom of the inner liner of the Ninja Foodi, or Instant Pot, CrockPot or pressure cooker. Pour 1500mls of water into the liner and place the pudding basin on the trivet or rack.
- Close the lid and turn the pressure release valve to SEAL.
- Move the programme slider right over to the LEFT to PRESSURE.
- Set the pressure to HIGH for 60 minutes and press the START button.
- The machine will beep and naturally release the pressure. Allow the pressure to be released naturally. Open the lid once all the pressure has been released.
- Carefully remove the pudding from the machine using the racks handles, or the string if used.
- Remove the greaseproof paper, cloths/aluminium foil and cover with fresh greaseproof paper and a clean pudding cloth or foil. Store in a dry, dark and cool place for at least 2 to 3 weeks.
How To Reheat
To microwave: remove the tinfoil and place the pudding upside down on a plate, microwave for 4 to 5 minutes.
To steam: place the whole pot with the lid on into your steamer and steam for 50 to 60 minutes.
To boil: boil the puddings in an open pan or in a steamer for 5 hours, making sure that the water is topped up when necessary.
To Serve
On Christmas Day, to flame the puddings, turn out the puddings onto a plate. Heat up a tablespoon or two of brandy in a small saucepan until it's warm but NOT boiling, then pour the hot brandy into a ladle. Carefully take the pudding to the table with the ladle and light the ladle with a match.
"Pour the burning brandy over the pudding and remember to turn the lights out for maximum ooohs and ahhhhs!"
Serve on your favourite Burleigh plates and bowls, with Brandy Butter, Rum Sauce, Custard or Cream. Don’t forget the sprig of holly too.
Browse the Burleigh Archive for Pudding Bowls, Spoon Rests, Gravy Boats that can be used for all types of sauces and more.
Follow Karen on Instagram for more delicious recipes to try. Enjoy!
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