This quick and easy Christmas pudding recipe is perfect if you've long missed stir-up Sunday but still want to make a traditional pudding yourself.
Simply combine the ingredients 24 hours before and steam on Christmas Day. And with a Thermapen on hand to cook your pudding perfectly to temperature, it couldn't be easier.
How to Make Christmas Pudding Perfectly
According to experts, the perfect Christmas pudding temperature is 71 °C. If it gets hotter than 89 °C, the sugar within the fruit in the pudding starts to caramelise and become bitter.
How Long to Steam Christmas Pudding
You should steam your Christmas pudding for 3-4 hours. But make sure to keep an eye on the temperature and remove it from the heat when it reaches 71 °C.
Easy Christmas Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sultanas
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecan nuts
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup cold water
Directions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Use a heatproof bowl with a lip for tying the cover around. Place a square of buttered greaseproof paper into the bottom of the bowl and add the mixed ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with greaseproof paper and foil and tie with string. The foil needs to be loose to allow the pudding to expand slightly.
- Tie the edge of the foil around the lip of the bowl and tie a string handle across the top, to help lift the bowl in and out of the cooking pot.
- Place the bowl into a pan with enough space round the edge to top up the water when cooking. Pour in water until it reaches around two thirds up the sides of the bowl.
- Bring the water to the boil and steam the pudding for 3 to 4 hours. Top up with boiling water as necessary and keep an eye on the temperature using your Thermapen — ensure water doesn't get into the pudding when you probe. Remove it from the heat when it reaches 71 °C.
- Use the string handle to lift the bowl out of the pan. Remove the foil and run a knife around the edge of the pudding. Place a serving plate on top and allow the pudding to release on to the plate. Help it along with a little shaking.
- To flame, warm the brandy or rum in a small pan, pour it over the hot pudding and set light to it. Serve with thick, boozy brandy cream!
