A traditional Christmas pudding recipe, served with clotted cream and a brandy Crème Anglaise with a dash of cognac
The traditional recipe my mum used for Christmas pudding is from a classic book of its era, entitled How to be a Good Housewife - not something you would see on a bookshelf today!
It was a book we always used when we baked together when I was a child and I still have it. The recipe uses proper beef suet. My mum used it for all kinds of fruit cakes.
I call it Mum’s Christmas Pudding and it’s a nice memory and tribute to her. We serve it with clotted cream and a brandy Crème Anglaise with a dash of cognac.
If you fancy giving it a go, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
450g raisins
450g currants
450g sultanas
225g white breadcrumbs
225g flour
60g mixed peel
225g brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
450g beef suet
30g chopped nuts (optional)
6g salt
¼ tsp ground ginger
Grated nutmeg
3 eggs
40ml sherry
40ml brandy
Milk to bind
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Mix together all the dry ingredients then stir in the beaten eggs, sherry, brandy and lemon juice. Add enough milk to make the mixture a fairly stiff consistency.
Place the mixture into a greased basin, put a piece of greaseproof paper on the top and then cover with some more greaseproof paper and secure with an elastic band.
Steam for eight hours and leave to cool and then store. Re-boil/steam the pudding several hours before it is eaten.
