FAQs
The traditional accompaniment to the Christmas pudding was a sweet custard or a hard sauce (nowadays known as brandy butter). It was customary to hide a number of small trinkets in the mixture, a bit like the twelfth night cake.
What do you pour on Christmas pudding? ›
How do I flame the Christmas pudding? Turn out the steamed pudding onto a serving plate with a good-sized rim around the edge to catch any spirit. The important thing is to get the spirit really hot. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of brandy, rum or whisky into a long-handled metal ladle and heat it over a gas flame until hot.
What is the best accompaniment for Christmas pudding? ›
Although the pud is undoubtedly the star, all that rich, fruity filling needs a dollop of something creamy and cool to serve alongside. Pour over double cream, spoon on thick clotted cream or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a quick win, or whip up your own boozy brandy butter for ultimate indulgence.
What are the traditions of Christmas pudding? ›
Christmas puddings were traditionally boiled in a “pudding cloth”, although today are usually steamed in a bowl. Presented on the table with a sprig of holly, they are then doused in brandy and set alight. The last Sunday before Advent became known as “stir up Sunday”.
What is hard sauce made of? ›
ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup butter, room temperature.
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar.
- salt (a speck)
- 1 2 tablespoons sherry wine or 2 tablespoons brandy.
- 1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg.
What is brandy sauce made of? ›
It's deeply rich, made with vanilla pods, caster sugar, cream, whole milk and (yes, you guessed it) a few tablespoons of brandy. It's more festive than serving pudding with simple double cream and can take a supermarket Christmas pudding to the next level or finish off your homemade Christmas pudding perfectly.
Why do you put a penny in a Christmas pudding? ›
A silver sixpence was placed into the pudding mix and every member of the household gave the mix a stir. Whoever found the sixpence in their own piece of the pudding on Christmas Day would see it as a sign that they would enjoy wealth and good luck in the year to come.
What to use instead of brandy in Christmas pudding? ›
You can use any other high alcohol liquor that you have to hand for flaming the pudding (though not a fortified wine, such as port) and cognac/brandy and whisky are often traditional choices. Port could be used for soaking the fruits for the pudding but make sure it is a sweet variety of port.
Do you put brandy or rum in Christmas pudding? ›
Christmas pudding is traditionally soaked with alcohol, preferably brandy, for flavour maturation. However, many people prefer rum and whisky spirit with high alcohol content.
Can you eat 2 year old Christmas pudding? ›
Some Christmas puddings, made with dried fruit in the traditional way, are fine to be eaten as much as two years after they were made. "Bear in mind if the pudding is alcohol-free, of course, it will last a good while with the sugar content, but it will not last as long without alcohol to preserve it," stresses Juliet.
Decorating delight
Nothing says “Christmas” like a sprig of holly. While this seems an obvious decorative choice, go one step further and add a large white chocolate snowflake by leaning it up against each serve of Christmas pudding.
What direction should you stir your Christmas pudding according to tradition? ›
On Stir-Up Sunday, families gather together to mix the pudding. Each member of the family takes a turn in stirring the mixture whilst making a wish. The pudding should be stirred from east to west, in honour of the Magi (Wise Men) who came from the east to visit the baby Jesus.
Why do Christians eat Christmas pudding? ›
Religious significance
It is believed that a Christmas pudding must contain thirteen ingredients. These ingredients each represent Jesus and each of his twelve disciples. Traditionally, brandy is poured over the Christmas pudding and set aflame before serving. The flames are believed to represent Christ's passion.
What does Christmas pudding mean to Christians? ›
The pudding was meant to have 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples. Often small trinkets were hidden in the mixture (a silver coin for wealth, a ring for future marriage and a thimble for spinsterhood!). The brandy poured over it and set alight represented the passion of Christ.
What day is Christmas pudding traditionally made? ›
The Stir-Up Sunday tradition dates back to the Victorian era, when families would meet to stir the Christmas pudding five weeks before December 25, read 21st November.
Why is it called plum Duff? ›
Plum duff, one of the fortifying puddings of Old England, is essentially the same in its beginnings as plum pudding, before it went up-market to become Christmas pudding—in other words a plain boiled suet pudding enlivened with a more or less generous addition of raisins or currants (duff represents a former northern ...
What's the difference between figgy pudding and plum pudding? ›
If it contains figs, it is called a figgy pudding. Plum pudding usually has raisins, not plums, since "plums" was once used to describe raisins. This iconic English dessert is similar to our American fruitcake with a few variations.