Replies

A question for tomorrow. I'm sure you're asleep by now. What is Christmas pudding? Is it Plumduff with hard sauce? If so, my mother made it for Christmas, too. But she was from Yorkshire, so we were more apt to have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding rather than turkey.

What is hard sauce is that another name for Brandy sauce hard being that it has alcohol in it?

Plum duff is a term my nan used to use and I believe what Christmas pudding used to be called in the UK over a hundred years ago. Today we just call it Christmas pudding and you can only get it at Christmas.

I normally buy mine; have made it but for it to be really good you need to make it many months in advance and really since mum has been ill that has not been an option maybe next year.

Recipe, I found one a few minutes ago which makes 2 puddings.

4oz plain flour, 1 level tsp allspice, 1/2 level tsp cinnamon, 8oz fresh white breadcrumbs, 12oz suite finely shredded, 8oz soft brown sugar (dark) or molasses sugar, 12oz sultanas, 8oz currants, 4oz seedless raisins, 2oz mixed chopped peel, 2oz blanched almonds chop the nuts not too finely, Finely grated peel of one lemon, 4 eggs well beaten, 4 tblspn brandy, whiskey or rum 1/2 pint milk or stout (Guinness).

Well grease 2 x 2pt pudding basins. Cut and grease 2 rounds of foil to go over top of basin to act as lids.

Sift flour, allspice and cinnamon into bowl. Toss in breadcrumbs, suet, sugar, dried fruit, chopped peel, nuts and grated lemon peel.

Fork in eggs, spirit and either milk or stout. Mix thoroughly. Divide between the prepared basins, cover with clean tea towel and leave in the kitchen overnight.

Next day cover with rounds of foil and tie on with thin string or thick thread. Place in large saucepan and add sufficient boiling water to come half way up sides of basin.

Cover with lid and cook steadily for 6 hours when pudding should be well risen and firm. Replenish boiling water every now and then to keep up the level.

Cool to lukewarm then turn out of basin. Wrap in greaseproof paper when completely cold then wrap completely in foil. Store in the cool until needed.

Before serving re-cook each pudding for 2 hours in greased basin. Turn out, coat with brandy or rum (about 3 - 4 tablespoons) and ignite. Add a season decoration on top of pudding such as sprig of holly.

Serve with brandy sauce, custard or cream; I usually have cream and a little whisky with mine as I do not do the igniting thing.

Alternatively and what most people do is buy one from the supermarkets or an expensive one from a specialty grocer or farm shop. The microwave has helped enormously here for example a very small one I have (only 1lb in weight) would take 60 mintes to re-steam it conventionally but with a microwave 3 minutes, I do the microwave LOL.

Hope that explains what Christmas pudding is if you are interested and do not under my description of the ingredients as we seem to call different things by different names do not hesitate to ask.

Question I have is your custard the same as ours?

I love roast beef and yorkshire pudding but unfortunately I will not have enough room in the oven for yorkshire pudding with the turkey unless I precook the yorkshires and just warm them up; I might do that if I get time.

Since BSE dad will not eat beef so will have to do with turkey.