The Boho Baker’s Traditional Christmas Pudding

• 8 servings
• 8 hours to cook, 30 minutes to prepare

Instructions

The Boho Baker describes herself as “Baker. Writer. Forager. Wanderer. Organic ingredient and edible floral Enthusiast. Member of the Guild of Food Writers.” Very local to our HQ in Preston, she’s kindly agreed to do a series of recipes for us, celebrating the best of our local produce. Follow her on instagram @thebohobaker

Held on the last Sunday before advent, the stir-up Sunday tradition goes all the way back to the 1800’s, when each member of the family would take it in turns to stir the pudding and make a wish. I can’t guarantee your wish for a white Christmas will come true, but I can promise you will have a delicious, well matured pudding by the 25^th December.

Method:

1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Chop the cherries and add them to the flour, along with the suet, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, spices, and dried fruit. Give it a gentle stir to jumble the ingredients together.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, brandy, and stout. Zest and juice the orange and lemon, adding both to the liquid mixture.
3. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine. Invite everyone in the family to have a stir, each making a wish for the year ahead during their turn. If you are adding a silver sixpence, wrap it in foil before adding to the mixture. Cover the mixing bowl and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
4. The following day, prepare a 1 litre pudding bowl by greasing with butter. Add a spoonful of flour and give the bowl a jiggle before flipping it upside down to remove any excess. Add the pudding mixture and then wrap a sheet of greaseproof paper around the bowl twice, covering the top. Use a sheet of foil to compress the greaseproof paper and seal up the pudding dish. If needs be, use a piece of string to secure the foil. The pudding should resemble a foil wrapped Christmas gift, with no paper or bowl on show.
5. Pop a trivet inside a deep pan and place the pudding on top. Add enough water to reach halfway up the bowl. Set the hob to a medium heat, cover the pan, and leave the pudding to steam for 8 hours. You will need to top up the water as it steams, so keep an eye on the pan and keep the water at the halfway mark for the duration.
6. After 8 hours, remove the pudding from the pan and leave to mature in a cool, dark, place until Christmas day.
7. When Christmas arrives, repeat the steaming process by adding your wrapped pudding to a pan and steaming for three hours. Remove from the pan, unwrap, and place a plate on top of the bowl. Flip the bowl and plate over in one motion, allowing the pudding to slide out of the bowl. Serve with cream or custard, with a good splash of brandy.

Hints/Tips/Troubleshooting:

• Don’t forget to warn any Christmas dinner attendees of any silverware hidden in your Christmas pudding!
• Whilst tradition calls for Christmas pudding to be adorned with holly (to resemble the Crown of Thorns), please note that holly is not edible and contains toxins that may seep into the pudding. Play it safe and use artificial holly, or simply cover the top of your pudding with lashings of cream.