Christmas Pudding Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you use butter instead of suet in Christmas pudding? ›

I usually make the Christmas pudding recipe with suet, but wonder if I can substitute butter for suet at all? Thanks. Hello, Yes you can use grated butter if you prefer.

The basin is wrapped in a layer of foil to help prevent the lid from popping off during steaming. This should keep the pudding watertight, but if the water in the pan boils too hard then it can still seep into the pudding basin.

Plum pudding was a type of boiled or steamed pudding that contained a mix of these dried fruits, spices, suet, breadcrumbs, eggs, and sometimes alcohol. Over time, the term 'plum pudding' evolved into what is now commonly known as Christmas pudding.

To avoid mould, we recommend you wrap the cooled pudding in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag or airtight container.

If you can't find suet then we have found that grated vegetable shortening (such as Trex, Crisco or Copha) is a good substitute. To grate the shortening firstly freeze a stick or block of it until firm but not solid (this usually takes about 30 minutes).

Still, there are some decent substitutes that will get you close. Some recipes recommend using frozen butter as a substitute for suet, but this is risky as the butter melts much faster than suet and your dish will become greasy and heavy. If you can't find suet or you just don't want to use it, try shortening instead.

The pudding can be reheated by steaming for 2 hours for large puddings and 1 hour for small puddings the same way, ie place in a casserole with boiling water. Alternatively reheat in the microwave but remember to remove from any metal tin and remove aluminium foil.

Can you over-steam a Christmas pudding? While the pudding won't dry out if it's steamed for too long, some of the ingredients inside may be spoiled by being overcooked.

Resist lifting the lid of the steaming pan for the first 30 minutes; like baking a cake, the drop in temperature could cause the pudding to collapse. However after this time, do check on the pudding regularly to make sure that the pan does not boil dry.

It is key that every member of the family gives the pudding mixture a stir and makes a wish at the same time. Traditionally, a silver sixpence was stirred in to bring whoever found the coin on Christmas Day wealth and good luck in the year to come.

What is the old name for Christmas pudding? ›

Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.

It's made with alcohol and dried fruit and is a traditional English dessert. It's more like a cake than what Americans think of as a soft, custard-like pudding. Figgy pudding is also known as Christmas pudding or plum pudding. It can also be affectionately called “pud.”

Steaming is the best way to re-heat a homemade pudding and the only way we recommend re-heating Delia's Christmas pudding. Microwaved puddings are frequently ruined. They tend to overheat and get tough & sticky.

If it gets hotter than 89 °C, the sugars within the fruits in the pudding start to caramelise. So no matter how luxurious its ingredients are, your precious pud will taste bitter. The best tool for checking your Christmas pudding is perfectly cooked is an instant-read food thermometer like the Thermapen ONE.

Once the pudding is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. The pudding can be stored for up to two years in a cool, dry place. To serve, reheat the pudding by steaming again (in the same way) for two hours, or until hot all the way through.

It is possible to make Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding using vegetable shortening (such as Crisco, Trex, Flora White, Cookeen or Copha) instead of suet (which is made from beef fat). You use exactly the same quantity in vegetable shortening but it needs to be coarsely grated before you use it.

Frozen butter: Use shredded frozen butter as an alternative to suet in pie crusts. It's important to note that butter has a lower melting point than suet and will melt much faster.

As a result, suet fat is less likely to melt into the flour when making the pastry. When the pudding is cooked, the suet melts after the pastry has had a chance to set, leaving behind holes. This structure allows the pastry to better stand up to wet fillings and gives a lighter, fluffier texture.

There are some ingredients in Christmas Pudding which may be unfamiliar. Suet is shredded animal fat but there are also vegetarian versions available. Suet isn't widely available outside the UK, but I have heard that you can use grated frozen butter or shortening instead.