Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for Christmas Pudding?

Answer 1

The following is a McDougalls recipe that my mother used since she was married and I have used for the last few years. I have never tasted better Christmas Pud.
Christmas Pudding

200g Self Raising Flour
2.5ml Salt (1/2 tsp)
5ml Ground Cinnamon (1tsp)
5ml Ground Nutmeg (1tsp)
5ml Mixed Spice (1tsp)
200g Breadcrumbs (8oz)
200g Shredded Suet (8oz)
200g Raisins (8oz)
200g Currents (8oz)
200g Sultanas (8oz)
100g Mixed Peel (4oz)
150g Demerara Sugar (6oz)
1 Brambly Apple; Pealed and Chopped
4 eggs, beaten
100ml brandy (2 ½oz or 2 doubles)
200ml Milk ( May use stout or ale)

1. Sieve flour, add salt, spices, breadcrumbs and suet. Mix
2. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix
3. Add remaining ingredients except milk. Mix, adding milk to reach a self-
supporting but not too dry mix.

4. Grease basins (4 x 450ml or 1 x 1250ml + 1 x 750ml)
5. Place mixture in basins, cover with (double) greased greaseproof paper tied
around basins.
6. Boil for 8 hours or steam for 10 hours. Replenish water as required during
cooking. Place trivet or skewers in saucepan to prevent burning.

Answer 2

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup prepared mincemeat pie filling
1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
Grease one 2-quart lidded pudding mold. Sift together the flour, sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, butter, mincemeat, cranberry sauce and pumpkin. Add to flour mixture and mix until smooth; pour into pudding mold.
Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot, over medium heat, and fill 1/2 way up with boiling water. Place the pudding on the rack. Steam for 2 1/2 hours.
Check the pan occasionally and add more water if needed. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. When firm, place the pudding mold on a rack outside of the water for 10 minutes and unmold.
Prepare a sauce by blending together the sour cream, cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Spoon dollops over warm pudding and serve.

Answer 3

Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce:

Tip: Use a round cake-cooling rack inside the stockpot.

2 cups shredded peeled sweet potato
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup stick margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened
2 tablespoons brandy

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Combine milk, baking soda, and vinegar; add to sweet potato mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moist.

Press sweet potato mixture into a 6-cup steamed-pudding mold coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with foil or lid coated with cooking spray.

Place mold on a shallow rack in a stockpot; add boiling water to halfway up sides of mold. Cover and cook in simmering water 3 hours or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, adding water to stockpot as needed. Invert pudding onto a plate; cut into 10 slices. Combine softened ice cream and brandy, stirring with a whisk until blended. Serve with pudding.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Answer 4

To make 2 x 2 pound or 4 x 1 pound puddings

3 ounces of flour
5 ounces of bread crumbs
5 ounces of suet
1¼ pounds of mixed dried fruit
1 small orange
1 small lemon
1 small cooking apple
2 eggs
1 tablespoonful of treacle
½ teaspoonful of mixed spice
½ teaspoonful of cinnamon
½ teaspoonful of nutmeg
1 small carrot
6 ounces of sugar (brown or white)
4 ounces of candid peel
Pinch of salt

To make 4 x 2 pound or 8 x 1 pound puddings

5 ounces of flour
10 ounces of bread crumbs
10 ounces of suet
2½ pounds of mixed dried fruit
2 small oranges
2 small lemons
1 cooking apple
4 eggs
2 tablespoonfuls of treacle
1 teaspoonful of mixed spice
1 teaspoonful of cinnamon
1 teaspoonful of nutmeg
1 carrot
11 ounces of sugar (brown or white)
6 ounces of candid peel
1 pinch of salt

The Method of Mixture

Mix flour, bread crumbs, suet, and mixed dried fruit into a large bowl. Add grated orange and lemon rind and juice. Add grated cooking apple. Mix well. Add eggs, treacle, spices and grated carrot. Add sugar, candid peel and salt. Mix well. (Optional ingredient tablespoon of whisky or brandy).
Allow mixture to stand over night in a covered bowl.
Place mixture into well greased pudding bowls. Cover with grease proof paper and secure with string.
Pressure cook according to pressure cooker instructions.
Allow to mature for approximately one month before final serving.

The Serving

Warm through using a saucepan of water on a low heat for two hours approximately, being careful not to let any water enter the pudding or the saucepan to boil dry. DO NOT MICROWAVE.
The pudding may then be flamed at the table. Pour over the pudding two tablespoons of high proof whisky and set alight.
Ideally serve with a brandy or whisky sauce.

Answer 5

I just by mine in tesco's you can't go wrong