Name: Christmas Pudding
Yield: Serves 8–10 (fills a 1¼ litre/2 pt/1⅓ quart mould)
Ingredients: ½ tsp mixed ground nutmeg and mace, or mixed spice (pumpkin spice); 115 g/4 oz/1 cup peeled and chopped eating apple (about 1 large apple); 170 g/6 oz/¾ cup currants; 1 tbsp candied peel; 170 g/6 oz/1 cup raisins; salt; butter, for the mould; 115 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup brandy, plus 55 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup, to serve; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; 85 g/3 oz/⅔ cup flour, plus more (optional) for the muslin; 85 g/3 oz/1 cup breadcrumbs; 170 g/6 oz/scant 1½ cups suet; 140 g/5 oz/⅔ cup sugar (white or brown)

Preparation info

Serves
8–10
(fills a 1¼ litre 2 pt 1⅓ quart mould)

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

How to Cook The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe

By Annie Gray and Andrew Hann

Published 2020

About

Christmas pudding has its origins in the late medieval plum pottage – a rich, spiced mix of dried fruit, beef and gravy. ‘Plum’ was just a generic term for any dried fruit (although, confusingly, ‘sugarplums’ meant sugared almonds). Plum pottage was sufficiently expensive to become associated with feasting, especially in the winter, as the ingredients did not rely upon fresh produce. By the 18th century the pottage had become a pudding, with the addition o