Plum Pudding Recipe - How to prepare Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding English style

Plum pudding is as much a part of the traditional Christmas celebrations in Great Britain as Christmas stollen is in Germany – with this Christmas pudding recipe you can make the Christmas pudding yourself. And perhaps a little tastier than this traditional dessert is generally said to be. Because not even the British agree on whether the plum pudding tastes good or not. Even though more than 60 million Englishmen, Irish and Scots stay true to this tradition, it is said to taste more like a frayed car tire than a cake.

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What is plum pudding?

It has been around since the 14th century, even though plum pudding had nothing to do with Christmas . Instead, the British ate it during Lent before Christmas. At first it was nothing more than a thick soup in which beef and mutton were cooked until they fell apart. It was seasoned with raisins, prunes, wine and various spices.

Over the centuries, this porridge was refined with eggs, breadcrumbs, beer and lots of alcohol to such an extent that it is more reminiscent of today's Christmas pudding. However, it was precisely the alcohol content that led the Puritans and Quakers under Oliver Cromwell to ban plum pudding in the 17th century. It was considered a "sinfully rich" dish that decent Christians should not eat. No wonder, if you read traditional recipes for the brown pile of dough. In addition to kidney fat, flour, sugar, breadcrumbs, raisins, sultanas, almonds, eggs, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, it contains incredible amounts of beer and various types of alcohol. It is actually no wonder that some revelers reacted more humorously than they should.

Only King George I made it finally acceptable. On his first English Christmas after his arrival from Hannover he was presented with the specialty as a Christmas dessert. And since he was not averse to culinary delights anyway, he took good care. Charles Dickens also helped the plum pudding to literary honors in his Christmas story. But now for the plump pudding recipe.

Tasty Plum Pudding Recipe

This recipe kindly was made available to us by Azlin Bloor from Linsfood. Azlin Bloor is an experienced chef, cookbook author and culinary instructor with roots in Asia and extensive knowledge of international cuisines. She shares her expertise on her blog "LinsFood", where she inspires readers with authentic recipes as well as culinary stories.

Instead of the traditional kidney tallow, she uses vegetable fat (e.g. palm fat). If you want to avoid palm fat, you can use butter instead. She also replaces the Guinness in the original recipe with sweet sherry and brandy. Over the years, other changes have been made. But just try it yourself. Let us know how you like this plum pudding recipe.

How to make Christmas pudding

Plum pudding ingredients

• 200 g cane sugar
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 100 g chopped palm fat
• 1 tea spoon Milled Mixed Spices
• 1 / 8 tea spoon Milled Cinnamon
• A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• 200 g sultanas
• 250 g raisins
• 40 g candied orange and lemon peel, chopped and mixed
• 50g roasted almonds, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized cooking apple, unpeeled, chopped
• grated peel of two lemons
• 120ml sweet sherry or - alcohol free - 100 ml of orange juice
• 4 table spoons of brandy or - alcohol free - light Earl Gray tea
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten, in a separate bowl
• 50 g flour with a pinch of baking powder

Preparing your plum pudding

1. Take a large mixing bowl and add sugar, palm oil, breadcrumbs and spices and mix well.
2. Add the dried fruits, orange peel and lemon peel, almonds, apple and lemon peel. Mix it well.
3. Add the alcohol to the beaten egg and stir well. Then add it to the other ingredients.
4. Mix everything together. It should be a loose mix. Cover it with cling film and leave it overnight.

The next day

1. Stir the flour into the plum pudding mixture and stir well.
2. Pour the mixture into a greased pudding tin and pack well.
3. Cover with a layer of baking paper, then with aluminum foil, leaving some space for the steam. Tie it tight with a string.
4. Place it for eight hours in a boiling water bath for a large pudding. Or divide the amount into three smaller containers and leave them in a water bath for three hours. Make sure that the water does not evaporate.
5. If you do not have a steamer, use a saucepan with an inverted saucer. Place the pudding on the saucer and fill it half full with boiling water. Cover it with the saucepan lid and let the water boil.
6. Then let the pudding cool down completely. This usually takes one day. Then replace the baking paper and foil with new covers.
7. Store it in a cool, dark place.
8. On Christmas day, place the larger pudding for 2 hours, the smaller pudding for 1 hour into the water bath.

How to best prepare the recipe for plum pudding

• Soak fruits early: It is best to leave it in alcohol overnight to intensify the aroma.
• preparation the day before: Weigh ingredients and mix dry ingredients to save time on baking day.
• Plan cooking time: Since plum pudding is cooked in a water bath for several hours, it is best to start early or plan a cooking time on a day off.
• Storage: Prepare the finished pudding a few weeks before Christmas and let it mature – this improves the taste considerably.

Traditional Christmas desserts from other cultures

• Torrone - white nougat from Italy
• Elisen Lebkuchen from Nuremberg
• NYCookies
• Italian Christmas cake from Brescia

Learn more about English Christmas traditions:

• Christmas in England: 15 typical Christmas traditions
• Very British: Traditions in Great Britain
• British Christmas traditions

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Source for the article “Plum Pudding Recipe – Make your own Christmas Pudding – Buy Plum Pudding online”: own research and a recipe from Azlin Bloor. However, our opinion remains, as always, our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Azlin Bloor and Linsfood