A rich and fruity, decadent boiled Christmas pudding is one of the classic elements of the festive season. For some people, it brings back fond memories of childhood and for others, the holiday season just wouldn’t be the same without it. This boiled Christmas pudding recipe is easy to make and tastes delicious. An added bonus is that because boiled puddings are cooked slowly, your whole home will smell like Christmas.
Ingredients
Method
Stir fruit, the water, sugars and butter in large saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes. Stir in soda; cool.
Stir egg, rum, breadcrumbs and sifted dry ingredients into fruit mixture.
Fill a large boiler three-quarters full of hot water, cover; bring to the boil. Have string and extra flour ready. Wearing thick rubber gloves, drop pudding cloth in boiling water; squeeze excess water from cloth. Spread hot cloth on bench, rub extra flour onto cloth 40cm (16 inches) in diameter, leaving flour a little thicker in centre.
Place pudding mixture in centre of cloth. Tie cloth tightly with string as close to mixture as possible. Knot two pairs of corners together.
Lower pudding into boiling water. Cover with tight lid; boil 6 hours, replenishing water as necessary to maintain water level.
Lift pudding from water, place in large colander; cut string, carefully peel back cloth. Turn pudding onto a plate; carefully peel away cloth, cool. Stand 20 minutes before serving.
You’ll need a 60cm (24-inch) square of unbleached calico for the pudding cloth.
If the calico hasn’t been used before, start with an 80cm (16-inch) square of calico, soak in cold water overnight. Next day, boil it for 20 minutes, rinse in cold water and cut to a 60cm (24-inch) square.
Note
Boiled Christmas pudding serving suggestions
Serve warm, with your choice of brandy custard, vanilla custard, cream or ice cream.
How to store
To store pudding, we prefer to remove the cloth rather than hanging the pudding, as mould can form in our climate. After removing cloth, allow pudding to come to room temperature; wrap in plastic wrap and seal tightly in a freezer bag or airtight container, and refrigerate for up to two months.
Is it too late to make Christmas pudding?
It’s almost never too late to make a pudding for your Christmas celebrations. If you have all the ingredients and cooking utensils at home, you could actually make this boiled Christmas pudding on the day – it only takes about 30 minutes to prep and then you have six hours to enjoy festivities with family and friends while it simmers away. Just remember to check it and add water as needed.
Is it better to boil or steam a Christmas pudding?
There are plenty of Christmas pudding recipes that either boil or steam the pudding, so which is better may come down to your preferences or what’s in your kitchen. As a basic guide, boiled puddings are cooked in calico directly in the water, and usually have a traditional “cannonball” shape or a slightly domed shape.
In comparison, steamed puddings may take a bit less time than boiled ones and require a pudding steamer or pudding mould (which come in a variety of shapes). This is placed in water, about half-way up the steamer, then the steam from the water cooks it.
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