Among the Christmas recipes, this year, I decided to make the Christmas pudding. For this typically English dessert, I chose the recipe from Downton Abbey, actually the recipe from the Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook. The Christmas pudding is a traditional English dessert made with dried fruits, has a simple batter, and a long and delicate steaming process. It is served warm, with custard or brandy butter, and it cannot be missing from the Christmas table of English families.
Downton Abbey is a beloved TV series that depicts the life of an English family in the Victorian era. The story unfolds both upstairs and downstairs, where the servants live. Everyone is equally a protagonist: the Crawley family and their servants share their lives, joys, and sorrows in a web of emotions and passions. Downton Abbey wouldn’t be the same without its kitchen; the food constantly moving from downstairs to upstairs is an integral part of the story. So, I didn’t hesitate to buy the official Downton Abbey cookbooks, and after reading and re-reading them, I started cooking with Mrs. Patmore and Daisy. This Christmas, I’m trying my hand at the Christmas pudding, which is currently steaming in my oven, lovingly nestled in a large copper pot with a lid.
Ingredients
The recipe calls for suet, which I replaced with butter. If you have a trusted butcher (preferably organic), try to get suet: it will surprise you.
- 5.3 oz raisins (dark)
- 5.3 oz currants
- 2.6 oz raisins (golden)
- 5.3 oz butter (replacing suet)
- 3.9 oz breadcrumbs
- 1.4 oz flour
- 2 tbsp almonds (with skin, finely chopped)
- 1 tsp spices (mixed for cookies)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (ground)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 1/2 tbsp milk
- 2 1/2 tbsp rum
- 2 1/2 tbsp brandy
- 3 tbsp stout
- 1/2 lemon (juice and grated zest)
Tools
Traditionally, Christmas pudding is cooked in a pudding mold. I didn’t have one, and today I cooked my pudding in a bundt pan. Please forgive me…
- 1 Mold pudding mold
How to prepare the Christmas Pudding
Combine all the ingredients in a large enough container. Crumble the cold butter, and before adding the egg, knead with your hands so it can blend well with the dried fruits, bread, spices, and the rest. Then add the egg and mix carefully, cover the bowl with the batter, and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 330°F. Carefully butter a 1.2-liter mold and line the bottom with parchment paper, making it adhere well to the butter. This will make it easier to remove the pudding from the mold. Pour the batter into the pan, press carefully, and level it well. Then cover the mold with a sheet of parchment paper larger than the top diameter of the pudding mold. Fold the center accordion-style: the pudding will rise during baking and will need the necessary space. Then add a sheet of aluminum foil or a towel over the paper to seal well, and tie the paper and towel with string.
Get a large pot that can go in the oven, place an overturned saucer on the bottom, and place the pudding on top. Fill the pot with hot water up to halfway and cover with the lid. Then bake. The pudding cooks for three to four hours, and you must ensure the water does not run out.
To check the cooking, remove the pudding from the oven, uncover it, and press the surface with the tip of a finger. If it springs back, the cake is ready; if it sinks, it needs to cook for another hour.
When cooking is complete, turn out the pudding onto an appropriate plate. Serve it warm with custard, ice cream, or whipped cream. If you made it ahead of time, let it cool in its mold, covered with paper. When ready to serve, moisten it with a few tablespoons of brandy or rum, then heat it, even in the microwave, and serve warm.
The Queen’s advice
Like all bread and dried fruit desserts, Christmas pudding is better a few days later. However, remember to moisten it with brandy and store it well-covered in a cool place. I also found different recipes, enriched with sugar and molasses. This pudding, however, does not have sugar in the batter and can also be served with blue cheese.
If you’re looking for Christmas recipes, I have several suggestions for you:
⁕ Vegetarian Christmas Lunch – Three beautiful proposals
⁕ Sustainable classy recipes for Christmas
⁕ Christmas Recipes: a menu every Saturday
⁕ Sweets to package for Christmas
