Once I bought a ready made Christmas Pudding, and despite putting a large piece of holly on top of it and setting it alight with brandy, the howls of derision and distain I received from my three kids made me realise that for the future this was simply not an option. And I have to agree, bought Christmas Pudding, even the best ‘handmade’ versions, are quite simply not as good as the ‘up to the elbows in pudding mix’ home made variety, preferably using a recipe by Delia Smith.
Today I ordered my Christmas Pudding ingredients, which will arrive tomorrow, when the Christmas Pudding making preparations will begin. You have to mix everything the first day, let it steep in rum and stout overnight and then steam it the following day, or, if as I do, you have an Aga, overnight when you may well totally forget about it for the next month…….
I’ve made Delia Smith’s Christmas Pudding year after year (apart from that year) and it’s never let me down. This one is deliciously tasty, juicy, fruity and is over the top special when served with my mother’s secret recipe brandy butter, and if you ask me nicely I may tell you that one too.How to set light to brandy – Use a large soup ladle, don’t fill it right up and hold it to warm over heat, preferably a gas hob on low. If it doesn’t automatically catch light tip it very slightly not too close to the flame, and then switch the gas off instantly. If you don’t have gas use a very small pan and get someone else to light it whilst you hold the pan. Then pour over your pud and take straight to the eaters. Don’t use a small spoon, this must be a ladle or a very small pan if necessary. And of course no kids get to do this one.
Most of these pics are of the pudding in creation. Hopefully there'll be one of the finished article as well, alight, in due course.........
