Talented cooks - how difficult is it (on a scale of 1-10)...?

Question

....to make a Christmas pudding? Usually I cheat and get a nice one from M&S, but this year I'd like to have a bash at making one. All the ingredients and equipment I need come to a fair whack, and I don't want to try if it's likely to be a total failure.

Oh dear - two 10s. Maybe I won't bother.

Answer 1

Don't let anyone put you off. This is really easy to do and so so much better than shop bought.

1/2lb raisins
6oz sultanas
6oz currants
2oz mixed peel
1oz blanched almonds
2oz glace cherries
1oz flour
1tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4oz brown sugar
4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 oz suet
2 eggs
large splash whisky or brandy or orange juice
Mix all fruit and nuts ,flour,spices sugar breadcrumbs rind and suet. Beat eggs and liquid, add and stir well. Make a wish. Fill 2 greased 1pt pudding basins.Cover with greaseproof paper and foil. Steam for 2 hours. Christmas Day you can steam them or pop them in the microwave.
You can buy plastic pudding basins with a lid for about a pound. I use these. The praise you get for doing your own is worth the hassle.

Answer 2

10

Answer 3

I wouldn't consider myself to be a talented cook, but I've made christmas pudding in the past and it's not so difficult. The hardest thing is the stirring - it's quite heavy going and you need to stir it really well, for a good half hour, by which time your arm will probably be close to dropping off. If you have a large family try and get them all involved in this bit :)

Also, make sure that when you steam it your pan is totally enclosed - you need to have a good fitting lid or it won't cook properly. Also, you need to be really careful that you keep the water in it topped up (use boiling water so the temperature doesn't drop). Once mine boiled dry (because I wasn't using a tight-fitting lid...) and I almost set fire to the kitchen, but that was my fault for not checking it frequently enough.

It's much easier to just buy one, but there's something so satisfactory about making your own, especially if you're making for the family and they all love it.

Answer 4

Use the same ingredients you would for a Christmas cake. Plenty of sherry/brandy/whisky whatever for mixing. Toss it into a heat proof bowl. Tie a greaseproof paper over the top leaving a pleat in the paper to allow for expansion. Put in a large pan with boiling water half way up the side of the bowl. Lid on, simmer steam for two/three hours. Keep checking water hasn't evaporated. Foolproof. Better than shop bought.

Answer 5

3.
It's one of the easiest things to do. The only thing to watch out for is making sure that everything is chopped very fine, and that all the dried fruit and nuts are mixed and mixed and mixed... then mixed again.

I agree that you left it a little too late, but give it a try anyway - it's fun and you'll know how to improve your technique for next year.
Start at least 2 months before Christmas.

I have been making plum pudding for many years - usually one year ahead, and I freeze them since I live in a tropical climate. Then I steam them for 2 hours before serving with rum sauce.
This year we'll be having last year's puddings.

Answer 6

Actually, it's not that complicated - just laborious. You just have to follow the recipe exactly, and it entails a *lot* of boiling (many many hours), so needs to be watched, and the water not allowed to boil dry. My dad used to make a Christmas pud every year when I was a teenager, and although he didn't cook often (and never baked), they always turned out very well. It's arduous, and you really just need to be determined, and follow your recipe precisely. Also, make sure it's a good recipe to begin with!

Good luck, and be confident.

Answer 7

On a scale of 1 - 10 I would say it's about a four. Just throw it all in a bowl, mix it up, shove it in a bowl, put it in a pan of boiling water and have a glass (or two) of wine while it cooks.

Answer 8

Most bakeries make their mix the day after halloween and feed them until about a week before Christmas. I'd go ahead and try it if I were you. They aren't as difficult as you think if you follow the recipe and add the proper things when you are supposed to.
good luck.

Answer 9

1.It's easy, just a bit of a pain prepping the ingredients. it is a bit late for making xmas pud but not too late. Give it a go,you'll never know if you don't try and if it's a complete disaster (unlikely) you can always buy one.

Answer 10

It's not *that* hard, but you've left it a few months too late to start now. The need to be constantly fed brandy, recovered, etc, for ages to get the nice taste you'd get from an M&S one...