Wishing you a merry Christmas - Owen Spencer-Thomas

This article appeared in the Ely Ensign in December 2004 on page 15

If you’ve missed Stir-up Sunday, it’s still not too late to make your own Christmas pudding.

It is traditional for everyone in the family to take a turn at stirring the Christmas pudding, whilst making a wish.

After stirring up the pudding, it is then steamed. But the pudding is not consumed until Christmas.

Waiting until Christmas Day allows for “ageing” or “mellowing” so you will experience the full flavour.

So, if you haven’t already made your Christmas pudding, you’d better get started.

But don’t forget to let everyone join in for a true family Christmas…

Christmas Pudding Recipe

This recipe will make two medium or four smaller puddings.

Mix together all the dry ingredients.
Stir in the eggs and brandy and mix thoroughly well.
Pour the mix into 4 x 1pint or 2 x 2pint lightly-greased pudding basins
Put a circle of baking parchment and foil over the top of each basin and tie securely with string.
Make a string handle from one site of the basin to the other so it’s easier to pick the basin out of the steamer or saucepan after cooking
Put the basins in the large steamer of boiling water and cover with a lid.
Boil for 5-6 hours, topping the boiling water up from time to time if necessary. If you don’t’ have a steamer, put inverted saucers into a saucepan and stand the basins on top of the saucers.
Top with more boiling water as necessary to come a third of the way up the sides of the pudding bowls.
Cover and steam as before.
Leave too cool.
Change the baking parchment and foil covers for fresh ones and tie up as before.
Store in a cool cupboard until Christmas Day.
To server the pudding on Christmas Day, steam for 2 hours and server with brandy butter, rum sauce, cream or home-made custard.
And for a really festive presentation, heat a small wineglassful of brandy in a small saucepan. At the last moment pour it over the pudding and set it alight.