Have you made your Christmas pudding yet??

My oh, my is the time not flying now???

Time to make the puddings and mincemeat for Mince pies…

Christmas Pudding

This first recipe is gluten free..for all of my friends who have to eat gluten free for a diagnosed medical condition and it is delicious and quite frankly just as nice as my tried and tested recipe I always make..not much difference in taste.

So I am giving you both recipes one Gluten free and my tried and tested one which if you used gluten free breadcrumbs and flour would also be Gluten free..

Hopefully this year I will have proper rolls of wrapping paper as one’s son is in England and will be bringing some back for me…Yehhhh no juggling with those silly little rolls which are just enough to wrap a matchbox…I am not kidding!

 

 So here is the first recipe for a… Gluten FREE Christmas pudding… Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 100gm currants.
  • 100gm sultanas.
  • 100gm sour cherries.
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • Grated zest and juice of half an Orange.
  • 1tsp of mixed spice and cinnamon.
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.
  • 100ml of brandy..this is where my hand slipped…haha
  • 180gm dark brown sugar
  • 1 granny smith Apple( I can’t these) so used a new Zealand apple which is quite tart.
  • 1 large carrot, grated.
  • 250gm ground almonds.
  • 50gm gluten-free cornflour.
  • 1tsp gluten-free baking powder.
  • 2 med free-range eggs.
  • 50ml vegetable oil( I use coconut oil)
  • plus extra for greasing.
  • 2 tbsp black treacle.
  • This makes enough for a 2-pint pudding basin or two 1 pints.

To make:

In a large bowl put dried fruit, zest, and juice, spice, and brandy stir to combine, cover and leave for 24hrs.

Then mix in sugar, apple, and carrot, add beaten eggs then stir in oil and treacle.

Lastly,  stir in dry ingredients with a pinch of salt.

Put mixture into a greased pudding basin it should be two-thirds full. Cover the top with a round of greaseproof paper the cover with pleated tin foil and secure with string.

You can now either set the pudding in a saucepan on an upturned plate and fill the pan with boiling water about halfway up the basin. Put the lid on and steam for 4 hours remembering to top up the water as necessary.

I always use a steamer and in this case, it was my wicker rice steamer which the bowl sits in nicely over the pot of water.

If you have made a lot of puddings over the years like me  I think you find your own preferred method of steaming your puds.

Once steamed, cool and rewrap pudding and store in a cool, dry place. It is the fridge for me as too humid…I do miss my cool pantry…

To serve simmer or steam the pudding for 1-2 hrs, then invert onto a plate and flame the pud or serve with sauce, brandy butter or cream…

It’s cream all the way for me …and lots of it!

My second recipe is slightly different but adaptable to make gluten-free and the one I make year after year…I could do it blindfold now…lol

So for all of you who want to get your Christmas Puddings made so they develop the lovely flavours then here is my tried and tested recipe….. 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 300gm fresh breadcrumbs ( I use brown)
  • 100gm self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ whole nutmeg, very finely grated
  • 225gm raisins
  • 100g mixed peel
  • 50gm flaked almonds
  • 250gm suet
  • 225gm Demerara sugar
  • 225gm sultanas
  • 225gm currants
  • 2 carrots, peeled and very finely grated
  • 2 cooking apples, peeled and very finely grated
  • (shhhh)Wet ingredients
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 small wine glass of brandy  shhhhh and a tad more..ha ha
  • 2 tbsp black treacle
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten

Let’s Cook:

Put the breadcrumbs in the biggest mixing bowl you can find. Sieve the flour into the bowl with mixed spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then add the remaining dry ingredients, up to and including the grated apples. Combine all the wet ingredients in a jug. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix together, with a big wooden spoon. Take it in turns to give it a stir, closing your eyes and making a wish.

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp cloth and leave overnight.

Butter 2 x 1.2-litre pudding basins and spoon the mix into them. Place a disc of baking paper on top of the puddings, then seal with a big sheet of baking paper with a central pleat, to allow expansion. Cover with a cotton or muslin cloth and tie with string or foil. Steam for 6 hours in steamers, or in pans with simmering water that reaches two-thirds up the sides of the basins – be sure to keep the water topped up. Remove and allow to cool.

When cool, re-cover the basins and store them in a cool, dry place. On Christmas day, or the day you’re going to eat the puddings, steam for another 1-2 hours. Turn the pudding onto a plate, then pour 75ml of brandy into a ladle and carefully warm over low heat for 1 minute or so. Light the match and viola a flaming pud 🙂

N.B. As I live in sunny climes then I store mine in the fridge as they ferment very quickly here and that’s not quite what we want.

Happy Cooking and don’t forget to make a wish 🙂

Stay safe, have fun and laugh a lot as you know what I am going to say it is Free and proven to be good for your health…..

 

 

37 thoughts on “Have you made your Christmas pudding yet??”

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    1. blondieaka Post author

      Ha Ha….I know but the secret of a good pud is making it early and just think that come Christmas you can relax and enjoy…and if you can…tell us all the secret…lol

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Doctor Jonathan

    I have never been exposed to mincemeat pie. My holidays tend to focus on maintaining composure around family members with very different philosophies about people and life. Maybe its time to become creative and bring a pie or two to fill their mouths with delicious food keeping their voices tied up a bit! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Kyla Matton Osborne

    Reblogged this on 24 Carrot Diet and commented:
    I used to make Christmas fruitcake pretty much every year. But I must admit that I have never made plum pudding!

    I really love to eat it – even if the rest of the family isn’t always keen. And I do have a bunch of dried fruit around the house. Maybe this will be the year that I attempt a plum pudding!

    Please click through to Carol’s blog to check out her recipes for this yummy Christmas treat. And as usual, comments will be turned off here on 24 Carrot Diet. So please leave your comments on the original post. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. blondieaka Post author

      Thank you so much, Kyla very nice of you. to reblog…I hope you enjoy your pudding if you make it …I love Christmas pudding with cream..yum ..can’t wait 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Kyla Matton Osborne

        My mother used to serve her plum pudding one of two ways: with a lemon-rum sauce or with a hard white sauce that her mom used to make. i believe her recipe came from that little white cookbook that had been put out by Purity.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. blondieaka Post author

        The lemon rum sauce sounds lovely Kyla…I always go back to cream…Lots of people in the Uk eat it with Brandy butter …I like to flame mine with Brandy and then cream all the way…lol

        Like

    1. blondieaka Post author

      If you like a very rich fruit cake you will probably like Christmas pudding…It is one of those love it or hate it puddings and you only serve small portions as it is very, very rich…It keeps from year to year I normally make one and keep one the same as mincemeat the flavours really develop on keeping if you store it correctly as I said it is like a very rich, traditional wedding cake…I do hope you enjoy it..Let me know 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. D. Wallace Peach

        I’m usually not running to the store for fruit cakes, but there’s something special about making one and I never have. We wouldn’t need to store it long. Sweet things don’t last long around here 😀

        Liked by 1 person

    1. blondieaka Post author

      Ahhh my faithful follower Scott…I know the feeling How many recipes do you think I read in a day? It is why I walk every day well not today but 6 out of 7 days I walk…It is the only way to keep my waistline in trim and I enjoy it 🙂

      Like

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