Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe
Family traditions are important for creating lasting memories. When my cousin asked if the children and I wanted to make my Great-Grandmother’s traditional Christmas pudding together, I saw it as opportunity to establish a family tradition we would enjoy — and remember.
Below is a picture of my German Great-Grand Mother on my wedding day. She died in 2009 at age 96. This is her Christmas Pudding Recipe.
These pictures capture the fun of the day.
Mixing
Making
Coins go in
Wrap and finish!
Ingredients
- 125g self-raising flour
- 125g plain flour
- 250g bread crumbs
- pinch salt
- 500g minced suet
- 500g brown sugar
- 500g currants
- 500g sultanas
- 500g raisins
- 1 handful of roughly chopped dates
- 1 packet mixed peel
- 1 1/2 packets cherries
- 10 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 125g-250g blanched whole almonds
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 cup treacle
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 grated (green) cooking apple
- Splash of alcohol of your choice (Sherry is my pick)
- Unbleached cloth (60 cm x 60 cm)
Method:
1. Prepare all fruits into bowl one or two days prior to cooking. Coat fruit with alcohol.
2. Prepare self-raising & plain flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and spices one or two days before.
3. Day of making, beat minced suet & sugar well.
4. Gradually add beaten eggs.
5. Then add treacle and mix well.
6. Add apple, carrot & almonds.
7. Add fruit to mixture a small amount at a time, and mix well with a wooden spoon.
8. Lastly, add bread crumbs to your flour mixture before adding to the pudding mixture. Mix well.
Preparing and Cooking
1. Have unbleached cloth ready.
2. Dip cloth into boiling water.
3. Spread out & sprinkle freely with plain flour.
4. Put mixture onto cloth (in middle). Gather up ends and screw up to pudding. Tie very tightly with string so that water cannot get in.
5. Boil 6 hours, keeping pudding covered with water at all times (you may need to top up with water during the cooking process).
6. When finished, hang to dry for 6-8 weeks. On day of use, boil another 3 hours.
Printer Friendly Recipe: Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe
This is the first time I’ve made this pudding. I can’t wait to open it up on Christmas day, not only to taste it but because I feel proud we did it together.
Do you have family traditions surrounding Christmas? I’d LOVE to hear about them.
42 Comments
Sharron Peacock
November 3, 2010 at 7:59 amSo sad I missed it! 🙁
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 3, 2010 at 8:04 amNext time Shazz. Love you. xx
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November 3, 2010 at 8:17 am[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kelly Long Burstow and Be A Fun Mum, Be A Fun Mum. Be A Fun Mum said: Do you have family traditions on the lead up to Christmas?… http://fb.me/LaDXf2LI […]
Robyn
November 3, 2010 at 9:19 amLooks like SO much fun Kell! HOw long does it keep for?
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 3, 2010 at 2:43 pm“Ages” I’m told. lol. I take that to mean months.
Malou
May 29, 2017 at 2:48 amshould keep for at least 12 months
joyce:waddleeahchaa.com
November 3, 2010 at 10:11 amI love family traditions and especially remembering our loved ones and the special dishes they prepared for our family celebrations. My
aunt always brought pineapple upside down cake and now her grand-daughter brings it. It is such a great memory and yummy too. The girls look like they truly got into your Great-Grandmother’s Christmas Pudding. What a wonderful tradition to pass on. Visiting from waddleeahchaa.com 🙂
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 3, 2010 at 2:44 pmHi Joyce. Thanks for sharing such a lovely memory. And yes, the children loved it! It was all hands on deck.
Thanks for visiting.
Michelle
November 3, 2010 at 11:01 amLooks like the creating was fun. Yum!!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 3, 2010 at 2:46 pm😀 It was! I’m looking forward to having a taste at Christmas.
Sandra
November 3, 2010 at 8:22 pmWow that is some pudding – what a lovely recipe and tradition. Your photo with your grandma is really lovely – you both look so happy. Really have to get the pudding made. I do make it with my girls but don’t usually have hands in the bowl but it looks like too much fun not to do it like that. Thanks Kelly x
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 3, 2010 at 8:33 pmThanks Sandra. The girls DID wash their hands lol. And yes, they had a lot of fun with it! x Try it!
Sandra
November 3, 2010 at 9:23 pm@Kelly Be A Fun Mum, You’ve convinced me! I’ll give it a go this week. Update to follow….x
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Martina
September 28, 2011 at 2:30 amI made this last year and it’s nearly time to make it again for Xmas 2011 🙂
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
September 28, 2011 at 3:40 pmYes! It is about time to make it again! Yummiest pudding I have ever tasted!
Louise
September 28, 2011 at 3:34 pmHi Kelly,
Can you tell me how many people this pudding would feed?
Thanks,
Louise
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
September 28, 2011 at 3:42 pmHi Louise, I’ll get my sister to estimate too (I’ll get back to you with that); my estimate would be at least 20 people. It’s huge!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
October 19, 2011 at 10:10 amI asked my sister and she said at least 20 – 30 people.
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Louise
October 19, 2011 at 10:02 amI’m not an experienced cook but I’m thinking of attempting it! The ingredients looks lovely. I read you boil it again on the day you eat it, how long before this should I make it?
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
October 19, 2011 at 10:10 amIt’s really the yummiest Christmas pudding I have EVER tasted! I’ll actually add this into the post but you hang it for a 2-3 months. Then, on the day you want to use it, boil for 3 hours. Does that make sense?
Louise
October 19, 2011 at 4:56 pmWow, fantastic! I hope I don’t mess it up!
Kel
October 20, 2011 at 9:18 pmHi Louise 🙂 Don’t stress too much, the most important thing is that it’s made with love – the more hands that have a stir, the tastier it is……I guarantee! I can’t even put into words how tickled our grandma would be that her family recipe is being enjoyed by other families 🙂 Good luck!
Louise
October 19, 2011 at 4:59 pmOne last question! What alcohol do you use? And how much?
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
October 20, 2011 at 9:26 amJust enough to coat the fruit. So, I would say about half a cup. You can use any alcohol you like. Sherry works well.
Courtney
October 25, 2011 at 1:19 pmHi there, do you know if there is an alternative to the suet? I plan on making this for christmas where there are a few vegetarians present, so trying to cater for everyone!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
October 27, 2011 at 9:30 amHi Courtney, I found this answer. below from http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f10/christmas-pudding-16132.html
Q. Is there a substitution for suet when cooking?
A. If you’re making a traditional steamed pudding, especially a plum pudding, the answer is “no, there is no substitute for suet.” Bet you didn’t expect that answer, did you?
Suet is the hard fat from around the kidneys of cows and sheep. Do not confuse it with fat from other parts of the animal that may be sold as suet but does not have the same properties. Most of the suet sold in supermarkets these days is suspect, of indeterminate quality and age, and quite likely intended for bird feeders. A butcher would be a more reliable source for suet. Because suet has a high melting point, it serves as a place-holder in puddings and crusts when the dough has begun to set, and long after other fats would have melted. As a result, the structure of the pudding is already defined by the time the suet melts, leaving thousands of tiny air holes that give the pudding a light and smooth texture. Additionally, suet, which does not have any meaty taste, imparts a rich flavor. The substitution of butter or shortening, especially in a steamed pudding, simply creates a dish that is heavy and greasy. Needless to say, very few people cook with suet these days, and most run screaming from any recipe that even mentions the stuff. If you can’t bear the thought of using suet, you can certainly substitute solid vegetable shortening — which also has a relatively high melting point — for suet in most recipes and few people will notice.
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Lauren
December 27, 2014 at 10:03 amHow did it turn out? I really want to make one for next year as it maybe my last christmas before i move overseas for a bit.
My grandpa use to make our christmas puddings for us every year but since he passed away none of the family have been able to find the recipe he used. So i am on a search to find a new one.
My mum wants to do christmas in July this year so looking to do a tester for then.
Tony
November 15, 2015 at 6:59 amGreat recipe i have been making for my family for 3 years now. My only addition – sixpences!! 11 Australian and one Kiwi. Whoever gets the kiwi one gets a scratchy – always makes sure there is none left!!!!
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
November 15, 2015 at 5:00 pmLove it!
Claudia Mills
October 12, 2016 at 3:33 pmHi Kelly
Just wondering when to add the bread crumbs and almonds? This is my 1st ever boiled christmas pudding so Im a little nervous
Claudia
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
October 14, 2016 at 11:25 amHi Claudia
I realise I didn’t include that in the recipe! I just updated it for you. It’s actually not hard at all, there are just a lot of processes. Hope it goes well for you x
Jo
December 16, 2017 at 6:36 pmThis is very close to one that I have from my grand mother, which is from her German grand mother , we have always serve it with cinnamon sauce, which is a sweet white sauce with lots of cinnamon. We have always wondered if this was a German tradition or an Australian quirk.