Mom’s Christmas Pudding

Once known as Frumenty or Pottage, this classic British dessert is sometimes called Plum or Figgy Pudding, but contains neither fruit – and in some places is just called Pud – but that has never sounded right to me. We always knew it as Mom’s Christmas Pudding, and in our house it was the perfect ending to a holiday feast to be shared with family and friends.

For more years than I care to mention, we thought that Mom’s recipe had been lost to us, but thanks to my Sister-In-Law it has been found, and now preserved again for future generations. I’m not sure there is much difference from the great many recipes available on-line except that it was ours and it always takes me back to happy memories.

I think it can best be described as a moister and stickier version of a fruit cake that we served hot, topped with caramel and sometimes ice cream. But it is definitely not a fruit cake and is cooked by steaming in an almost ritualistic fashion – ingredients include raisins, currents, fruit peel, spices, egg, breadcrumbs, suet, shredded carrots and potatoes….etc….unlike most Christmas Puddings, my mothers version does not contain brandy.

There are many customs associated with this Pudding including stirring for luck or embedding a coin granting a wish to the finder and flaming with brandy for table presentation.  I don’t recall our family doing any of these – I guess our ritual was savoring this terrific dessert.

I know that my mother would be proud to share this recipe with you.

Enjoy…

How to Make Mom’s Christmas Pudding:

We followed Mom’s instructions to make this Pudding just right. It was prepared the day before Christmas and rewarmed on Christmas Day as we worked on our main course (Beef Wellington) and its accompaniments. The caramel sauce was made fresh on the stovetop during our holiday meal preparations.

Ingredients:

• This recipe calls for shredded carrots and potatoes—staples I always have on hand. Luckily, my husband volunteered to shred them for me (always a bonus!).

• Suet, on the other hand, was a bit trickier to track down. My initial online searches kept leading me to the kind used in bird feeders! Eventually, we found shredded suet ready to use in the freezer section of our local European grocer. While I’ve considered trying this recipe with vegetable lard for vegan-friendly guests, the family insists, “It wouldn’t taste like Mom’s!”
• Breadcrumbs were easy to source—just plain breadcrumbs, not the kind with cheese mixed in.
• The “fruit” in this Pudding comes from currants, raisins, and candied peel. You could experiment with adding candied cherries or swapping more raisins for currants, but this combination worked beautifully for us.
• As for the pantry staples, you’ll need brown sugar, flour, one egg, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon—ingredients I usually have on hand.
• The caramel sauce is a simple mix of brown sugar, flour, butter, and boiling water. If you need a dairy-free option, vegan butter works just as well!

• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup grated potato
• 1 cup finely ground suet
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup seedless raisins
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/4 cup mixed peel
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger

Preparation:

When I first decided to try this recipe, I felt a bit unsure about both the process and the presentation. I had always enjoyed this dish as a child – but I had never prepared it myself. I was likely too busy worried about my Christmas gifts.

I had gathered all the ingredients, but I wasn’t sure what type of dish would be suitable for steaming the Pudding on the stovetop for 3 to 4 hours. After a lot of Googling and watching YouTube tutorials, I discovered traditional ceramic Pudding basins on Amazon, but I didn’t want to buy something new if I didn’t have to – I even considered using my Bundt cake pan, which would have created a lovely shape. Ultimately, I chose my favourite thick, round Pyrex measuring cup. The key was ensuring it could fit inside my largest pot for steaming—and it worked perfectly!

• Mix ingredients separately in two large bowls:
• Mix carrots and potatoes – add baking soda
• Mix in beaten egg, brown sugar and suet

• In a separate bowl mix flour, bread crumbs, salt and spices.
• Gradually pour flour mixture into wet mixture, folding all ingredients together until well mixed.
• Add fruit to mixture.

• Pour mixture into “greased heat safe bowl”

I buttered my pyrex bowl (measuring cup), as instructed – but I also cut out a parchment circle -sized to place at the bottom of the bowl. I had visions of the whole Pudding sticking to the bowl – but this did not happen!

• Cover bowl with foil and secure.

I cut another parchment circle to fit the top of my Pudding – within the bowl – and then placed foil over top of the bowl. I tied a twine string around the top of the bowl to secure the foil. The key is to keep the top in place to keep water from dripping into the bowl during the long steaming process, but also to let some of the steam in. Some people recommend putting a string vertically around the bowl as well to allow the whole bowl to lifted from the pot when the steaming is complete. I did not do this as I have long silicon oven mitts which are quite water and heat proof and allow me to grab the bowl from the boiling pot.

• Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot – (I used a canning jar ring and this worked well!)
• Place bowl on the rack in the pot.
• Fill pot with water halfway up the bowl.
• Place lid on the pot and turn on heat to steam for 3-4 hours. I steamed for 3 1/2 hours – and this was perfect!

Remove bowl from pot, and allow to cool a little until it’s manageable. Remove the foil and parchment and place a plate over the top of Pudding. Flip the Pudding over onto the plate.

Christmas Pudding Caramel Sauce

As we were preparing the Beef Wellington and the Red Wine Gravy for Christmas dinner, I was preparing this sauce – things were crazy in the kitchen for a moment and I worried that the sauce had turned to sludge UNTIL I whisked in the boiling water and VOILA – the sauce was perfect and things calmed down!

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Melt butter in a pot on the stovetop. Mix flour and sugar together and then add slowly into the melted butter – whisking. Whisk in boiling water.

Serve warm Pudding slices with caramel sauce spooned over the top.

This dessert was delicious – and will return to our Christmas table for years to come.

Below is a printable recipe card from RecipesGenerator. Please give it a try!

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