The Royal Mint Christmas Pudding & Stir-Up Sunday
User Reviews
5
The Royal Mint Christmas Pudding & Stir-Up Sunday
Description
The Royal Mint Christmas Pudding is a classic steamed dessert made from a mixture of dried fruits soaked overnight in water, then combined with flour, a blend of warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger, breadcrumbs, shredded suet or softened butter, grated dark chocolate and apple, brown sugar, mixed peel, chopped almonds, and zest from lemon and orange. Black treacle and brandy add depth and moistness. The mixture is bound with beaten egg, and after marinating overnight for flavors to develop, a sixpence coin is traditionally stirred in for good luck.
The pudding is then placed in a buttered bowl and steamed until set. Its texture is dense and moist, with a lively combination of spices, rich dried fruits, citrus brightness, and chocolate undertones. This dessert is a centuries-old holiday tradition, meant to be enjoyed as a hearty finish to a festive meal.
Care must be taken with the sixpence coin, which should be sterilized or added carefully before serving to avoid choking hazards. The pudding is served warm, often with cream or custard, fitting into Christmas celebrations and Stir-Up Sunday customs.
Inform guests about the sixpence coin to prevent choking risks.Sterilize the coin before adding it to the pudding or insert it into the warm pudding at serving.Do not microwave the pudding if it contains coins.
Ingredients
- 170 g sultanas
- 140 g currants
- 140 g raisins
- 200 ml water
- 30 g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg grated
- 1/2 tsp mace ground
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 55 g breadcrumbs
- 85 g shredded suet if you cannot get hold of suet, softened butter works just as well, vegetable, fine
- 40 g dark chocolate 70%, grated
- 1 apple peeled and grated, for cooking
- 85 g dark brown sugar soft
- 20 g mixed peel chopped
- 55 g almonds roughly chopped, blanched
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 orange zested
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 3 tbsp brandy
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 knob butter for greasing
Instructions
- Put the sultanas, currants and raisins in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for three minutes. Leave to soak, uncovered, overnight.
- Sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl.
- Add the breadcrumbs, suet or butter, grated chocolate, grated apple, brown sugar, mixed peel, almonds, lemon and orange zest.
- Mix well, using your hands to get rid of any lumps of butter and ensuring the mixture is fully blended together.
- Stir in the soaked fruit, which will have plumped-up overnight. Next, stir in the treacle, brandy and beaten egg.
- Mix well, and stand overnight. While this isn’t necessary, the marinating helps the spices soak in. Before you’re ready to cook, stir in the Royal Mint Six Pence. It’s traditional for everyone to give the pudding a turn with a wooden spoon at this stage, and make a wish.
- Use the knob of butter to grease the pudding bowl, and tip the Christmas pudding mixture into it.
- Cut one circle of greaseproof paper, which is a few inches bigger than the rim of the bowl. Use a large elastic band to secure it over the pudding bowl with a folded pleat running through the middle. This will allow room for the pudding to release excess steam. Cover the top with a piece of tin foil (same size as the greaseproof paper) and then tie it tightly with the string.
- Make a loop of string across the top, to fashion a handle, so the pudding can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.
- If you are using a steaming pot, pour some water into the bottom of the stock pot – about one eighth full – so that the steamer basket sits in the bottom, just above the water level. Bring the water to the boil, and place the Christmas pudding in the basket.
- If you don’t have a steamer basket, simply use the upturned saucer or ramekin so that the pudding basin is kept away from direct contact with the base of the pan. Then fill the stock pot with water to around half-way up the side of the pudding basin.
- Put on the lid, and steam at a gentle simmer for four hours. Keep an eye on the water to make sure that the pan doesn’t boil dry, and add more water from the kettle to keep it topped-up if needed.
- If the lid of the stock pot doesn’t fit on tightly, it’s not ideal, but not disastrous – as long as there’s plenty of steam circulating. Keep an even more careful eye on water levels though, as a loosely covered pot is more likely to boil dry.
- Lift the pudding out of the pan after four hours, making sure you keep the greaseproof lid on – that way you can store the Christmas pudding for up to two months.
- On Christmas Day, steam the pudding again for another two hours, and serve – perhaps with a sprig of holly on top, and a splash of brandy (and then light with a match).
Notes
- Warn diners about the sixpence coin to avoid choking hazards.
- Sterilize coins in boiling water before adding or place them in warmed pudding at serving.
- Avoid microwaving puddings with coins embedded.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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