English Christmas pudding with brandy sauce recipe

This classic Christmas pudding is studded with walnuts, candied peel, and mixed fruit, and flavoured with brandy, cider, and warming spices.

Don’t let the lengthy steaming process put you off. The prep for this English Christmas pudding couldn’t be simpler and the end result is totally delicious. For best results, get stirring on Stir-Up Sunday and allow your pudding plenty of time to mature. Unlike Christmas cake, you don’t need to feed the pudding with alcohol. The steaming process will keep it lovely and moist. 

Ingredients

For the pudding

• 250g (8oz) each of raisins, currants and sultanas
• 100g (3½ oz) glacé cherries, halved
• 50g (1¾ oz) chopped mixed peel
• 100g (3½ oz) walnuts, chopped
• 250g (8oz) dark muscovado brown sugar
• 60g (2oz) plain flour
• 150g (5oz) breadcrumbs
• 250g (8oz) chopped suet
• 4 level tsp ground Christmas spice or mixed spice
• 2 medium eggs
• 200ml (7fl oz) cider
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 x 1.25 litre (2 pint) pudding basins, buttered
• Holly sprigs, to decorate
• 3-4 tbsp brandy, to flame, or a few sparklers

For the sauce

• 300ml (½ pint) milk
• 2 level tbsp cornflour
• 284ml carton double-cream
• 60g (2oz) caster sugar
• 4-6 tbsp brandy

Method

1. Place raisins, currants, sultanas, cherries, mixed peel, walnuts, brown sugar, flour, breadcrumbs, suet and spice into a large bowl and mix well.
2. Lightly beat the eggs into the cider and add the salt and bicarbonate of soda. Stir cider mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture between the pudding basins, pressing down so that it all fits. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment with a pleat in it and secure with string.
4. Place the puddings in the top of a steamer or use two steamers and place one pudding in each. Steam the puddings for 4½ to 5 hours, ensuring that the steamers don't boil dry.
5. Remove puddings from steamers and leave to cool. Cover with fresh baking parchment and store in the fridge for up to three months.
6. Steaming is the best way to reheat the pudding, and helps the rich dark colour to develop. Steam the pudding for 1-2 hrs to reheat.
7. To make the sauce, blend 4tbsp milk with the cornflour. Bring the remaining milk to the boil, then stir in the slaked cornflour and simmer to form a sauce.
8. Stir in the double cream and caster sugar and simmer the sauce until the sugar has dissolved and it is the desired consistency. Stir in the brandy just before serving.
9. To flame the pudding: Place the pudding on a warmed plate, add holly on top and put on the table. Heat brandy in a saucepan, pour around base of pudding and ignite with a long match or taper. Or put the pudding on a plate, stick sparklers on top and light them when pudding is on the table.

Top tips for making this English Christmas pudding

Make this pudding vegetarian by replacing the suet with vegetarian suet, chilled grated butter, or vegetable shortening. This pud can also be served with brandy butter or vanilla ice cream. Not suitable for freezing

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