Traditional Christmas Pudding

[Gerry D]

Does anyone have tried and true recipe and method for making a Traditional Christmas Pudding? I have never made one before and my sister suggested I make one. I have a few recipes that I found online but I figured this would be the place to ask. I see a lot of recipes that call for breadcrumbs. Plain white breadcrumbs? Would another type of bread make for a tastier pudding? I want to make sure I get it right the first time. Thanks.

[saucisson]

I can pass on my wife's family's tried and tested recipe, but I will have to get permission first. You may be a bit late for this year though as they are made in the previous October, that is 14 months in advance.

Otherwise I have a rather good recipe I have sneakily used myself without them noticing that only takes a couple of weeks to be ready.

Dave

[Oddley]

The following, is from my absolute favorite cookbook, This is the cookbook I always goto first, to find a recipe. It was so tatty, I recently had to replace it. I have made this recipe and it is very good.

The cookbook BTW is: The dairy book of home cookery 1978 edition

Christmas Pudding from The dairy book of home cookery 1978 edition

Ingredients:
100 g - 4 oz Plain flour
½ level teaspoon mixed spice
¼ level teaspoon grated Nutmeg
225 g - 8 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
275 g - 10 oz of freshly shredded suet
225 g - 8 oz Soft brown sugar
350 g - 12 oz each of seedless raisons and sultanas
50 g - 2 oz mixed chopped peel
50 g - 2 oz shelled walnut halves or blanched almonds
Finely grated rind of 1 small orange
4 large eggs beaten
½ wine glass brandy or dry sherry
½ teaspoon Almond essence
150 ml - ¼ pint milk

Method:
1: Sift flour, spice and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, suet, sugar, raisens, sultanas, peel, finely chopped walnuts or almonds and grated orange rind.
2: Toss well together.
3: Combine with beaten eggs, brandy or sherry, almond essence and milk. Mix well.
4: Leave overnight in a cool place. Divide between two buttered one litre/two pint basins.
5: Cover securely with buttered greaseproof pepper or aluminum foil. Steam steadily for six hours, replenishing the water as it boils away.
6: Cool fifteen minutes in basins. Turn out and leave until completely cold.
7: Wrap in greaseproof paper and then aluminum foil. Store in cool dry cupboard until needed.
8: To serve, unwrap pudding or puddings, return to buttered basin/basins, cover and steam a further two hours. Turn out onto warm dish, serve with sweet sauce to taste or double cream. If preferred, puddings may be stored in the basin in which they are cooked.