The Traditional Christmas Pudding
- Gavin with a "G"
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
This year the traditional "Stir-Up Sunday" was on the 23rd November. This tradition, dating back to Victorian times, marks the last Sunday before Advent, when families gather to stir the mixture for their Christmas pudding, making a wish as they stir.
Christmas pudding is sweet boiled or steamed pudding served as part of the Christmas dinner in Britain. Traditionally a silver coin is added and who ever has the coin on their plate on Christmas day, makes a wish. Before serving, warm brand is set alight and poured over the pudding.
In our family we use my mothers recipe and make the Christmas Pudding a year before so it can mature for 13 months. So this year I have made the puddings for Christmas 2026. This maturing time allows all the alcohol, fruits and sugars to develop, creating a rich and uniquely Christmas flavour, traditionally served on Christmas day with Brandy Butter.
The History
Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called 'frumenty' that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. This would often be more like soup and was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas festivities.
By 1595, frumenty was slowly changing into a 'plum pudding', having been thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavor with the addition of beer and spirits. At this time, the word 'plum' could also mean dried plums like prunes and any other kind of dried fruit like raisins and currants. It became the customary Christmas dessert around the early to mid 1600s, but along with other celebrations of Christmas, it was 'banned' by the Puritans in the 1640s.
In 1714, King George I re-established it as part of the Christmas meal, having tasted and enjoyed Plum Pudding.
By Victorian times, Christmas Puddings had changed into something similar to the ones that are eaten today. In 1845, cookery writer Eliza Acton wrote the first recipe for a dish called "Christmas pudding". The pudding became a popular part of Christmas tradition in the United Kingdom partially due to Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol.
During December you will see Christmas puddings available in all the food markets, supermarkets and department stores, but for me the best Christmas Pudding is my mother's.
If you would like my mother's recipe, contact me and I will email it to you!
Happy Steaming!
