"Stir up Sunday"
Traditionally Christmas puddings are made 5 weeks before Christmas and on “Stir up Sunday “ family members stir the pudding mixture and make a wish.
Christmas pudding traditions
Christmas pudding would traditionally contain 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples. Over the years I have added a few more ingredients because we love spices. It is traditionally stirred (while making a wish) by each member of the family from East to West, to remember the Wise Men that visited Jesus in the Nativity Story. The customary garnish of holly sprigs represented the crown of thorns. Be warned: the holly berry is very toxic, so instead decorate the Christmas pud with fake foliage. Adding coins, we have some old silver sixpences that I use but will soon be running out of them.Originally charms added to the pud was said to bring luck if you found them in your
portion on Christmas Day. The traditional lucky charms were a silver coin for wealth, a wishbone for luck, a thimble for thrift, a ring for marriage, and an anchor for safe harbour. Always warn folk that there are hidden things or coin in the pud.

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​What You'll Need 
150g sultanas 150g raisins 50g currants 50g dried cranberries 50g finely chopped apricots
1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 small carrot grated
Juice and zest of an unwaxed orange and lemon
3 tbsp brandy, sherry, or rum, we like rum best
200ml cider
75g/3oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
100g /4oz light muscovado sugar
2 free-range eggs
100g/4oz self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 grated nutmeg
40g/1½oz fresh white breadcrumbs

Method

1. Measure the sultanas, raisins, cranberries, currants ,apricots apple and carrot into a bowl
2. with the orange and lemon juice.
3. Add the measured brandy (rum or sherry), and cider stir and leave to marinate overnight to plump the fruits up.
4. Put the measured butter, sugar and grated orange and lemon zests into a large bowl andcream together with a wooden spoon or a hand-held whisk until light and fluffy.
5. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little of the measured flour if the mixture start to curdle.
6. Sift together the flour and mixed spice, then fold into the creamed mixture with the
7. breadcrumbs and the nuts.
8. ​Add the soaked dried fruits with their soaking liquid and stir well.
9. Generously butter a 1.4 litre/2½ pint pudding basin.
10. Cut a small disc of foil or baking parchment and press into the base of the basin.
11. Spoon into the prepared pudding basin and press the mixture down with the back of a spoon.
12. Cover the pudding with a layer of baking parchment paper and foil, both pleated
13. across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie securely with string and trim off excess paper and foil with scissors.
14. To steam, put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a
15. lid and steam for eight hours, topping up the water as necessary.
16. To boil the pudding, put a metal jam jar lid, or metal pan lid, into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet.
17. Place a long, doubled strip of foil in the pan, between the trivet and the pudding basin, ensuring the ends of the strip reach up and hang over the edges of the pan.
18. This will help you to lift the heavy pudding basin out of the pan of hot water when it has finished cooking.
19. Lower the pudding onto the trivet and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up
20. the side of the bowl, add a piece of lemon to the water as this prevents the pan from staining .
21. Cover with a lid, bring the water back to the boil, then simmer at a slightly rolling
22. simmer for about seven hours, until the pudding is a deep brown colour, topping up the
23. water as necessary. TIP: set a timer for 30 minutes so that you don’t forget to check the water level.
24. When cooked through, remove the pudding from the pan and cool completely. Discard the
25. paper and foil and replace with fresh. Store in a cool, dry place.
26. To serve, on Christmas Day, steam or boil the pudding for about two hours to reheat.
27. Turn the pudding onto a serving plate.
28. If you wish to flame, warm a tablespoon of brandy or rum in a small pan, pour it over the hot pudding and set light to it.

 We like to serve our pudding with rum sauce but you can make rum or brandy butter or fresh cream

Tips

• If you have time allow the fruits to soak for 2 days, if you are soaking in fruit juices then place in the fridge to prevent the fruits fermenting.
• Weigh the pudding mixture into the pudding bowls and write in pencil the weight of the pudding, a pound pudding will only need 6 hours steaming whilst a 1 1/2 lb pudding will need 7 hours and a 2lb pudding will need 8 hours.
• Place a quarter of a lemon in with the water in the steamer pans as this will stop the pan discolouring.
• Remember to set a timer for every 30 minutes to remind you to top up the steamers with water from a boiled kettle to prevent the water in the steamers from going off the rolling simmer.
• If adding a coin to the pudding do this just before serving and wrap in greaseproof paper.