Tuesday 27 November 2012

Wish upon a pudding - get stirring and steaming......

Mum’s Christmas Pudding
makes 1 large, 2 medium or 3 small (570ml) puddings

Christmas pudding is not only a once a year treat but wonderful theatre when flamed with brandy and carried to the table with just ceremony. Heat a cup full of brancy in a small pan, light it and pour over the pudding in the kitchen. Put out the lights and carry it to the table. Everyone will be delighted!
This is my mother's recipe, it was my grandmother's too, it is plain and delicious. Make half quantity or give puddings as presents: nothing tastes better than homemade.


200 g currants
200 g sultanas
200 g raisins
150 g flour
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch cloves
200 g bread crumbs
200 g suet
50 g chopped almonds
50 g ground almonds
200 g muscovado sugar
200 g carrots, peeled and roughly grated
100 g mixed peel
3 eggs
500 ml brown ale
A glug of dark rum

Put the fruit in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes then drain in a colander and leave to drip until required.

Put all the dried ingredients in a bowl up to and including the sugar and mix well, then add the grated carrot, mixed peel and drained fruit and mix again.

Put the eggs, 300 ml of the brown ale and a glug of rum in a bowl, mix briefly and then pour over the other ingredients. Stir and stir, giving everyone in the house a chance to stir and tell them to make a wish. It may be necessary to add a little extra ale if the pudding mixture is too dry.

Grease the pudding basins; divide the mixture between the basins and cover with a double square of greaseproof paper and muslin. Tie up with string just below the rim and then take the four corners of the muslin and tie together. Stand the pudding basins on a trivet in a large pan. Add enough boiling water to come half way up the basins.

Cover the pan with a lid and bring back to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 4 - 8 hours depending on size, topping up the level of the water every hour.

Leave to cool then remove the greaseproof and muslin and replace with fresh. Store in a cool dark place until required.

When ready to eat, steam for 2 hours or microwave for 5 minutes.



Turn out onto a beautiful heat resistant dish. Put a teacup of brandy in a small pan and heat gently. When hot pour over the pudding, set light to it and carry to the table with great ceremony.











Tuesday 20 November 2012

Mix up your mincemat - cooking was never so easy



Christmas mincemeat


Homemade mincemeat is so simple to make and sooo much nicer that anything you can buy in the shops, that it is really a shame not to make it yourself. This quantity keeps me in mincepies for the whole of December. If you think that is too much make half - if you don’t use it all it will keep until next year. Jars of homemade mincemeat make lovely presents.

Nearer to Christmas I will be posting my new marzipan and mincemeat tart recipe so make sure you keep a pot back for that.

Top tip: if you don’t keep dried fruit in the house simply buy a 500 g pack of mixed dried fruit and use that.

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well; cover with a clean cloth and leave to stand overnight or for 12 hours. Transfer to sterile jars and seal. Use as required.

300 g currants 200 g sultanas
150 g whole mixed peel finely diced
6 tablespoon dark rum
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons mixed spice
Half nutmeg grated
Good pinch ground cloves
375 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
375 g firm pears, peeled, cored and finley choped
75 g blanched almonds chopped
350 g dark muscovado sugar
250 g suet

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well; cover with a clean cloth and leave to stand overnight or for 12 hours. Transfer to sterile jars and seal. Use as required.