For those planning a traditional Christmas
now is the time to make your Christmas pudding. Iconic English foodie Delia
Smith has a fantastic recipe that uses barleywine, stout and rum instead of
brandy. If you’re keen to try the recipe I suggest using Fullers Golden Pride
and Invercargill Pitch Black. Keep a bottle of Golden Pride to serve with the
pudding on Christmas day!
From deliaonline.com
Ingredients
4 oz
(110 g) shredded suet (beef or vegetarian)
2 oz
(50 g) self-raising flour, sifted
4 oz
(110 g) white breadcrumbs (made from a loaf left out overnight - the best way
to make breadcrumbs is in a blender, if you have one)
1
level teaspoon ground mixed spice
¼
level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
good
pinch ground cinnamon
8 oz
(225 g) soft dark brown sugar
4 oz
(110 g) sultanas
4 oz
(110 g) raisins
10
oz (275 g) currants
1 oz
(25 g) mixed candied peel, finely chopped (buy whole peel if possible, then
chop it yourself)
1 oz
(25 g) almonds, skinned and chopped
1
small Bramley cooking apple (7 oz/200 g), peeled, cored and finely chopped
grated zest ½ large orange
grated zest ½ large lemon
2
tablespoons rum
2½
fl oz (75 ml) barley wine
2½
fl oz (75 ml) stout, plus a bit extra if needed
2
large eggs
Method
Take your largest, roomiest mixing bowl and start by putting in the suet,
sifted flour and breadcrumbs, spices and sugar. Mix these ingredients very
thoroughly together, then gradually mix in all the dried fruit, mixed peel and
almonds, followed by the apple and the grated orange and lemon zests. Don't
forget to tick everything off so as not to leave anything out. Now in a smaller
basin measure out the rum, barley wine and stout, then add the eggs and beat
these thoroughly together.
Next pour this over all the other ingredients, and begin to mix very
thoroughly. It's now traditional to gather all the family round, especially the
children, and invite everyone to have a really good stir and make a wish! The
mixture should have a fairly sloppy consistency – that is, it should fall
instantly from the spoon when this is tapped on the side of the bowl. If you
think it needs a bit more liquid add a spot more stout. Now cover the bowl with
a clean tea cloth and leave to soak for a couple of hours (or overnight).
To steam the pudding, first fill a saucepan with boiling water form a
kettle. Place a steamer on top and bring it back to the simmering point on top
of the stove. Pack the mixture into the lightly greased basin, cover it with a
double sheet of silicone paper (baking parchment) and a sheet of foil and tie
it securely with string (you really need to borrow someone's finger for this!).
It's also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle.
Place the pudding in the steamer and steam the pudding for 8 hours. Do make
sure you keep a regular eye on the water underneath and top it up with boiling
water from the kettle from time to time. When the pudding is steamed let it get
quite cold, then remove the baking parchment and foil and replace with fresh,
again making a string handle for easier manoeuvring. Now your Christmas pudding
is all ready for Christmas Day. Keep it in a cool place away from the light.
Under the bed in an unheated bedroom is an ideal place.
To make this recipe gluten-free: Use gluten-free white flour and breadcrumbs
made from gluten-free bread, and replace the stout and barley wine with the
same amount of sherry. If you're using gluten-free flour, you will need to add
3 pinches of baking powder to the 2 oz (50 g) of gluten-free white flour. If
you want to make individual Christmas puddings for gifts, this quantity makes
eight 6 oz (175 g) small metal pudding basins. Steam them for 3 hours, then
re-steam for 1 hour. They look pretty wrapped in silicone paper and muslin and
tied with attractive bows and tags.
Copyright © 2009 Delia Smith