I had a lovely, lovely Christmas with my folks. Hope yours was good too dear reader. Here’s a glimpse of the kind of delicious fare that was on offer chez Ma and Pa Hammerton in Suffolk… This was the Boxing Day
There was of course, my mum’s legendary trifle!
Corinne Griffith’s recipe for “Edna’s Christmas Pudding” is now an annual tradition at our Christmas table. This is a GREAT Christmas Pudding that you can make on the very day rather than ages in advance. It is much lighter than a traditional Christmas pudding as it doesn’t have loads of sultanas and peel and whatnot. It’s a cherry and walnut steamed pudding and is utterly delicious. My dad always has two helpings.
I usually use these cherry preserves for this pudding,
but as I busted my knees up a couple of days before Christmas, I couldn’t get up the four flights of stairs to my flat to get it to take home. I was a right old peasy knees for a few days…
Luckily my parents’ corner shop is ALDI and dad nipped out and got some cherry preserves with brandy.
The brandy in these gave the pudding extra OOMPH – it tasted just like we had poured brandy over the pud and set it on fire in the traditional manner, so I’ll definitely be using brandy infused cherry preserves from now on.
Here’s ye olde recipe. You could make this any time of the year really, but for me, it’s gotta be Christmas!
Edna’s Christmas Pudding
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup cherry preserves
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup English walnuts
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of
soda - 3 teaspoons sour cream
- ¾ cup flour
Mix eggs, melted butter, cherry preserves, sugar and walnuts. Add soda to sour cream and sour cream to the preserve mixture. Lastly add flour. Steam in double boiler about 3 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times. Serve with whipped cream.
Note: I don’t stir the pudding, I just leave it to do its thing while I am drinking snowballs and eating my Christmas dinner.
I guess you could make this a day or two earlier and heat up in the steamer on the day. But I now love the little tradition of rustling it up on Christmas Day – as long as there is a spare ring on your hob to leave it steaming away for three hours it’s super quick to put together.
NOTE – after an
I make the pudding in what here in the UK is called a pudding basin. Here’s a rather nice one!
My mum has one that is Tupperware and has a lid, this is perfect for the purpose. You can use a ceramic pudding bowl and there is a brilliant article here that will tell you all you need to know about steaming puddings
http://allrecipes.co.uk/how-to/47/how-to-steam-christmas-pudding.aspx
and here’s a pic of
Now I have written all about steamed puddings I want one. I remember my mum used to make a steamed suet pudding with a kind of toffee
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A couple of questions for clarity re the Christmas Pudding…
To get it’s tradition shape, I’m assuming you mold it (in a mixing bowl, perhaps?) and wrap it in cheesecloth prior to the steaming? But then, I’m not understanding the “stirring” of it…? Is it in an actual steamer ‘basket’? Or is it in the top of a double boiler…cooked for the 2+ hours…then molded after that??
While I personally Love the candied peel..& that would be my favorite part of a traditional Christmas pudding, I can do with way less of sultanas or such. But I will give a try with the brandied cherries!
Thank you.
Sandi! I have had another thought on this… If your double boiler has a solid bottom in the top section I don’t think this would work. I think it would have to be a steamer. I have a photo of my sister’s one that I use each Christmas so I’m going to pop that in the blog. Jx
Hi Sandi!
Very good points – I haven’t explained how to cook this properly so will add some details into the post when I have a moment.
Here in the UK we make Christmas puds in “pudding basins” – they are a standard shape and my mum has a perfect one. It is Tupperware and has a lid. Like these https://www.lakeland.co.uk/13871/3-Plastic-Lidded-Steamed-Pudding-Basins-12L
I’ll ask my mum to measure what capacity her basin is so I can add that to the post too.
I’m guessing you are in the US? I am wondering if steamed puddings are a particularly British thing maybe?
Yes! Cooked in the top of a double boiler/steamer in the pudding basin then when ready to serve, slightly loosened with a knife and then turned upside down – the pudding pops out fully formed.
I think if the pudding was made in a ceramic pudding basin, I would cover the top with foil or greaseproof paper tied around the top of the basin with string. That’s what my mum used to do before the Tupperware version!
I’ve made this pudding a few times now and never stir it. I think it would be tricky to do and I’m not sure what it would bring to the party.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment and I hope that the above helps.
Send me a pic of your pud if you make it! JX