Irish American Mom's Christmas Pudding

November 14, 2011 by Irish American Mom 49 Comments

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It's that time of year again! Time to make a Christmas pudding, so the wonderful flavors and spices mature to perfection before Christmas Day.

This is a traditional dessert, served on Christmas Day in most Irish and British households, and made four to six weeks before Christmas.

Irish Christmas Pudding on a platter — Irish Style Christmas Pudding or Plum Pudding

Origins of Christmas or Plum Pudding
Ingredients for Christmas Pudding
Ingredient Notes
Directions for Christmas Pudding
Prepare the Fruits and Nuts
Prepare the Dry Ingredients for Plum Pudding
Adding Wet Ingredients to Plum Pudding Mixture
Resting Batter Overnight to Develop the Flavors
Cooking a Christmas Pudding
Video and Printable Recipe Card

Origins of Christmas or Plum Pudding

This practice originated in medieval England, when it was often referred to as plum pudding. Old recipes call for a mixture of dried fruits and sweet spices, very luxurious ingredients in olden times.

In early November grocery stores display all the key ingredients for Christmas delicacies - raisins, cherries, dates, cranberries and brown sugar. Making Christmas puddings was an annual tradition I remember fondly. Each year growing up n Ireland, my Mom and I reviewed our family recipe in early November.

Throughout the British Isles Christmas puddings were made on stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday in November before Advent begins.

Together we shopped for the long list of Christmas pudding ingredients. This year, as I renew old family traditions, my four year-old little girl helped me to make our puddings. I tried to get the boys involved, but I may as well have asked them to watch paint dry.

This is my Mom's old recipe, tweaked a little, to give it an American spin. Currants are small dried raisin-like berries used in Ireland, but I have never been able to find them on this side of the Atlantic. I substitute dried wild blueberries instead and throw in some dried cranberries for additional American flavor.

Here is my Irish American fusion version of Christmas pudding. Making it is a lengthy process, but well worth the effort. The pudding is delicious.

Ingredients for Christmas Pudding

Here you’ll find a quick list of what you’ll need for this recipe. Check out the printable recipe at the bottom of this post for US and Metric equivalent versions of the recipe. There you can choose the measurement system that works best for you.

Irish Christmas pudding ingredients — Ingredients for Plum Pudding

The ingredient list is extensive, as you can see from the picture above.

In years gone by, the expense of the required ingredients, ensured plum pudding was reserved for such a special occasion as Christmas.

raisins
golden raisins or sultanas
dried wild blueberries
marishcino cherries (halved with stems removed)
dried cranberries
dates (chopped)
orange marmalade (with large chunks of peel)
dried pineapple (chopped in small pieces)
walnuts (chopped)
almonds (slivered)
brown sugar
breadcrumbs
all-purpose flour
salt
mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
cinnamon
nutmeg
ground cloves
green apple (peeled and grated - a Bramley cooking apple used in Ireland)
carrot (peeled and grated)
melted butter
lemon (juice and grated rind)
orange (juice and grated peel or orange zest)
eggs (whisked)
brandy
Guinness stout (8 fluid ounces)

Ingredient Notes

I use salted not unsalted butter since this is what we used in Ireland when I was young. If you only have unsalted butter it will work fine.

Use fresh white breadcrumbs rather than whole wheat or brown bread crumbs.

I don't use any golden syrup or treacle in my pudding since I prefer the flavors added by brown sugar. This pudding should not have caramel tones. I use brown sugar rather than white caster sugar. Brown sugar compliments the stout or Guinness.

A sprig of holly is a great garnish for your pudding, but do remove it before setting a pudding alight.

Directions for Christmas Pudding

Here you’ll find step-by-step photographic instructions to help you recreate this recipe successfully. There are plenty of tips included along the way.

Dried pineapple diced on a cutting board — Diced candied pineapple

Prepare the Fruits and Nuts

Traditional pudding recipes call for mixed peel, which is a mixture of candied orange, lemon and lime peels.

The mixed peel available at our local grocery, uses many artificial food colorings and flavors, which I am not very fond of. Instead I create my own substitute using dried pineapple and marmalade.

First I dice two dried pineapple rings into small pieces.

Mixed diced candied pineapple with marmalade — Diced candied pineapple and marmalade

Next I add a ½ cup of orange marmalade.

Be sure to pick a marmalade with large chunks of peel.

Mixed Peel Substitute — Marmaplade and pineapple substitute for mixed peel

Next I mix the pineapple and marmalade together and set it aside for about 1 hour before I make my puddings. This allows the pineapple time to soak up some of the sugary, orange marmalade flavors.

If you wish you can use 1 cup of mixed peel instead of this marmalade and dried pineapple mix.

Dried fruit for Christmas Pudding — Dried fruits for plum pudding

Next comes the fun part - mixing all the different dried fruits together. Shades of gold, red, tan, brown, and black bespeckle the mixing bowl, in a fitting fall color fiesta.

Add the raisins, golden raisins and dried wild blueberries to a large mixing bowl.

Next come the chopped dates and cranberries.

Slivered almonds, chopped walnuts and cherry halves — Chopped almonds walnuts and cherries

Chopped walnuts and slivered almonds are the nuts I choose, but if you wish to further Americanize this pudding, you could substitute chopped pecans for one of these nut varieties.

Glacé cherries can be used, but I chose maraschino cherries, without any red dyes added. Remove the stems and halve the cherries.

Dried fruit and nuts — Mixing nuts and fruits for Christmas pudding

Toss the fruit and nuts to the mixing bowl.

I love to admire this colorful mound of goodness piling high in my bowl.

Adding brown sugar to fruit for a plum pudding — Adding brown sugar to fruits and nuts for Christmas pudding

Prepare the Dry Ingredients for Plum Pudding

Next add the brown sugar and mix through the fruit. If you like a darker pudding, use dark brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of treacle or molasses (added to the beaten eggs a little later). I use regular light brown sugar and skip the treacle.

I don't like my pudding to be too rich and dark. I like to be able to see and appreciate the different types and colors of dried fruit used, when the pudding is sliced for serving.

Adding breadcrumbs to a plum pudding mix — Adding breadcrumbs to fruit and nuts

Add the breadcrumbs.

Dry ingredients mixed in a bowl for plum pudding — Fruit tossed with sugar and breadcrumbs for plum pudding

Mix the crumbs through the fruit and nut mixture.

Spice mixed with flour for a plum pudding — Spices and flour for plum pudding

Next comes time to prepare the flour and spices. Look at the lovely autumn spice shades in the picture above.

I use pumpkin pie spice as a substitute for Irish mixed spice, together with cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Sieve the flour, salt and spices together. If you would prefer an authentic Irish festive flavor then I do recommend making your own homemade mixed spice.

Mixing dry ingredients for a plum pudding — Adding flour to fruits and nuts for Christmas pudding

Add the flour and spice mixture to the fruit, nuts and breadcrumbs.

Dry ingredients for Christmas Pudding — Dried fruits and nuts coated in flour and breadcrumbs

Mix the flour through the mixture to fully coat the fruit.

Carrot and apple for christmas pudding — Grated apple carrots with orang and lemon zests

Grate the orange and lemon peel, green apple and carrot.

Closeup view of fruit and nuts for a plum pudding — Dry ingredients for plum pudding

Mix them through the pudding mixture.

Adding melted butter to a mixture of dried fruits — Adding melted butter to plum pudding

Adding Wet Ingredients to Plum Pudding Mixture

Melt two sticks of butter. The microwave melts two sticks in 45 seconds to 1 minute depending on your microwave's power. Add the melted butter and mix into all the ingredients.

Traditional pudding recipes call for suet or lard to be used. I just cannot bring myself to add such artery clogging, saturated fat to this delicacy. Instead I just increased how much butter I used (still not low-fat, but at least a little better than lard, in my mind).

Eggs and orange juice for a Christmas pudding — Adding orange juice to eggs

Juice the lemon and orange and add to four eggs in a separate mixing bowl.

Brandy in a shot glass beside a bowl of eggs and bottle of Brandy — Adding brandy to wet ingredients for Christmas pudding recipe

Add the brandy to the eggs and juice and whisk them all together. You can use whiskey instead if you wish.

If you like a darker pudding add 2 tablespoons of molasses or treacle to the eggs at this point.

Mixing marmalade and eggs — Adding marmalade and pineapple to eggs for plum pudding

Add the pineapple/marmalade mixture to the eggs. I find this makes the marmalade a little less sticky and easier to mix throughout the pudding.

A close up pineapple, eggs and dried fruit — Adding wet to dry ingredients for Irish Christmas Pudding recipe

Pour the flavored egg mixture into the fruit mix and use a big spoon to combine all the ingredients together.

Guinness porter or stout being added to plum pudding mixture in a bowl — Adding porter to plum pudding

Now comes time for the most important ingredient of all, making this recipe truly Irish.

Good, Irish stout adds an extra depth of flavor and richness to an Irish Christmas pudding.

Plum pudding batter in a bowl — Christmas pudding or plum pudding batter

Mix everything together, ensuring no pockets of dry ingredients remain. The mixture is quite wet at this point, but don't worry. The puddings are not ready for steaming just yet.

Resting Batter Overnight to Develop the Flavors

To ensure the flavors meld and develop, and to allow the fruit time to expand in its cognac and Guinness bath, it is best to allow the mixture rest for at least 12 hours prior to cooking.

Covering batter with saran wrap to allow plum pudding flavor mix — Covering plum pudding batter in a bowl to rest overnight

The final step for today, is to cover up the mixing bowl and set it aside overnight. If you are worried about raw eggs, you can keep the mixture in the refrigerator.

However, I find that the dried fruit absorbs the liquids better at room temperature, so I put mine high up on a kitchen cabinet. Cooking involves steaming for many hours, leaving little chance for any bugs to survive.

Cooking a Christmas Pudding

Preparing your pudding for steaming takes some time, and requires some age-old tips, I will share in a separate post. So put your pudding mixture aside to mature, and come back the next day to transfer it into a pudding basin to steam it.

using twine handles to lift plum pudding bowl from crockpot — Steaming a Christmas Pudding in a Crockpot

Part-two of this Christmas Pudding tutorial is dedicated to step-by-step instructions for steaming the pudding in a crockpot. Here you'll learn how to seal the top of the pudding basin using baking parchment or greaseproof paper, plus how to wrap it in foil before steam cooking.

I don't boil my pudding on the stovetop, but simmer it for hours in my slow cooker instead.

A Christmas pudding alight — Setting a Christmas Pudding Alight

For anyone interested in setting their Christmas pudding alight, here's my simple tutorial for setting a pudding ablaze. I use a candle flame to heat some brandy and set it on fire.

Video and Printable Recipe Card

Here's a short video outlining the steps for homemade Christmas puddings.

Here is a printable version of the complete recipe.

Christmas or Plum Pudding

A rich, decadent, fruity pudding traditionally served with Christmas dinner in Ireland.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British, Irish

Keyword: Christmas Pudding, Plum Pudding, Traditional Food

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 7

Resting Time: 1

Total Time: 1 7 30

Servings:

Calories: 304kcal

Equipment

Slow Cooker or Crock Pot

Ingredients

1½ cups raisins
1½ cups golden raisins
1 cup dried wild blueberries use currants instead if available
½ cup marishcino cherries glacé cherries can be used - halve the cherries.
½ cup orange marmalade with large chunks of peel
½ cup dried pineapple chopped in small pieces
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dates chopped
½ cup walnuts chopped
½ cup almonds slivered
1 cup brown sugar
2½ cups breadcrumbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice if available
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 large apple Granny Smith - peeled and grated
1 large carrot peeled and grated
8 ounces butter 2 sticks melted
1 lemon juice and grated zest
1 orange juice and grated zest
4 large eggs whisked
2 fluid ounces brandy or whiskey
1 cup Guinness Stout

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chop the dried pineapple into small pieces and mix into the marmalade. Cover and let stand for 1 hour before mixing the pudding.
Add the raisins, golden raisins, dried wild blueberries, dried cranberries, and chopped dates to a large mixing bowl. Remove the stems from the maraschino cherries, cut into halves, and add to the fruit in the bowl.
Add the chopped walnuts and slivered almonds to the mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar and bread crumbs and mix well.
Sieve the flour, salt and spices, then stir into the prepared fruit and nuts.
Add the grated apple and carrot, the grated lemon and orange peel.
Pour the melted butter over the fruit mixture and combine well together.
Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. Add the fruit juices and brandy and whisk again. Add the marmalade and pineapple mixture to the eggs. Mix together well before adding the egg mixture to the prepared fruit and nuts in the large bowl. Mix well together.
Pour the Guinness stout over the fruit mixture and combine together gently, but thoroughly, mixing the stout throughout the pudding mixture.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Leave the mixture for at least 12 hours before cooking, to allow the flavors time to blend.
Brush the inside of two glass pudding bowls, that can withstand boiling temperatures, with melted butter. This recipe makes one 1 and ½ quart size pudding, and one larger 2 and ½ quart size.
Place approximately two-thirds of the pudding mixture in the larger bowl, and the remainder in the smaller glass steaming bowl.
Cover the bowls with a large piece of parchment paper, with a fold creased into the center. Secure around the rim of the bowl with cotton thread. Cover the entire bowl and parchment paper cover in aluminum foil.
Using cotton twine or thread create a handle around the prepared bowl for ease of lifting in and out of a crockpot. Place the bowl in a crockpot large enough for the pudding bowl to stand a minimum of a ½-inch away from the walls of the crockpot basin.
Add water to the crockpot to cover three-quarters of the height of the pudding bowl. Cook on high power for 1 hour, then reduce to low heat for an additional 5 hours for the smaller pudding and 6 hours for the larger pudding.
Remove the bowl from the crockpot and allow to cool for two hours before unwrapping the pudding.
Place a plate under the cooking bowl, turn it over, and allow gravity loosen the pudding onto the plate. Wrap the pudding in aluminum foil when fully cooled. Store in an air-tight container for 4 to 6 weeks prior to eating. To reheat the pudding, place back into a steaming bowl. Prepare the bowl as outlined above and res-team on high for 1½ hours in a crockpot.
Serve in slices with egg custard or whipped cream, or brandy butter.

Nutrition Facts

Christmas or Plum Pudding

Amount Per Serving (100 g)

Calories 304 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 151mg7%

Potassium 273mg8%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 26g29%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 645IU13%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.

Tried this recipe?Mention @IrishAmericanMomBlog or tag #irishamericanmom!

This recipe will turn out fine even if it isn't made weeks before Christmas. Advanced cooking is the traditional way of allowing time for the flavors to mature.

The difference between an aged and a new pudding would probably only be detected by a seasoned Christmas-pudding-eating palate.

Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Mairéad -Irish American Mom

Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th

Mairéad - rhymes with parade

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