Festive Grampian: Make your own Christmas Pudding
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Liz Ashworth spent part of last week marooned up in Orkney due to the stormy weather.
However the food writer from Lhanbryde managed to put the time to good use.
Liz helped to create a Christmas Pudding alongside some of the regulars at the Peedie Kirk, which is sited in the island's capital Kirkwall.
She writes: "Today is the last Sunday of November and that's often called 'Stir up Sunday' because it's traditionally time to make Christmas pudding.
"The old-fashioned system is a lot of fun: mixing ingredients in a large bowl with family and friends, each taking a turn to have a stir and to make a wish.
"The mixing of Baxter’s Christmas pudding was always a special occasion when I worked in the canteen there.
"Each year the catering staff provided a freshly cooked Christmas meal and preparations began with the Christmas pudding.
"Making it at the end of November gives it time to develop that unique texture and tongue-tingling flavour.
"It was a grand day when many of the factory folk came to share, stir and wish.
"The mixture was deposited into bowls to steam for hours filling the air with festive aromas, a promise of Christmas to come."
RECIPE:
This makes enough for a 3-pint size pudding. For smaller amounts simply divide the recipe.
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150g ( 5oz) each of currants, sultanas and chopped prunes or dates
175mls ( approx. 12 fl oz) sherry or apple juice
100g ( 3 ½ oz) plain flour
125g ( just over 4oz) fresh breadcrumbs
150g (5oz) suet (vegetarian suet is available)
150g ( 5oz) soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
3 large eggs – beaten
1 cooking apple – peeled, cored and grated
1 tablespoon of runny honey or golden syrup
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Soak dried fruit in the sherry or apple juice overnight.
Rub soft butter or oil round the inside of a pudding basin or basins – there are custom made plastic ones or use a pyrex glass bowl.
Put all the pudding ingredients into a large bowl. Share the stirring and wishing if you can, I am sure it makes it taste better! Stirring clockwise following the path of the sun is traditional.
Deposit pudding mix into the prepared bowls and cover either with a custom made lid or cover with a double layer of foil sufficient to cover the pudding and come down the sides of the bowl.
Tie string round the outside allowing a long extra tail from the tied knot to cross over the basin top, under the string opposite and back to tie the knot once more and thus make a handy lifting handle.
Steam puddings in a pan filled with simmering water enough to come one quarter way up the basins. Gently lower the puddings into the pan wearing oven gloves to avoid hot steam which can burn easily.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and steam slowly for up to 5 hours. Check the water regularly to make sure the pot is not dry!!
Some people prefer to steam their puddings in a roasting tin 1/3 filled with water in the middle of the oven set at 160C (140C fan) 325F, Gas 3. Cool, store in a cool dry place.
Steam again for 1 to 1 ½ hours to reheat before serving. Decant onto a warm serving plate – top with a sprig of holly and serve.
Alternatively portions can be heated in the microwave. Beware only heat in bursts of ten to fifteen seconds – it does not take long.
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