Christmas Pudding?

Thanks Hopseter...I will print it out and try it...other recipes I have seen use barley wine and brandy...and sherry/port and conac..I think the alcohol depends on what you like....

One of mine even adds carrot!  

Hey those buns are good anytime of the year!

i don't understand why the British call things "pudding"...?

okay... yorkshire pudding?  thats like a funny-shaped roasted pancake.

blood pudding?  well... i won't even go into THAT one...  

christmas pudding?...  never tried it, but the mere thought scares me...

pass the chocolate snackpacks, please...  

Wellz4r9i <---now what on earth is that mess I just posted?

Anyway!  What I was trying to say is that stout is Guiness and I now have a Christmas Pud merrily stewing in Brandy and Stout ready to be steamed tomorrow.  I used veggie suet (Atora) and it smells great already!  Drunk but great!

I chucked in the carrot (figure it would make it moister) and used 2 fl oz of Brandy --or a bit more.  One other recipe I had did not call for self rising flour or eggs, but I chucked in one egg to help it be less dense.  So I used Hopsters recipe and a combo of about 3 others.  Also added some date pieces.  If it comes out I will post the entire recipe!  I also might make sure to poke it every now and then and add a bit more Brandy between now and Christmas.

Thanks for the update! I plan on starting mine once I have bought a pudding basin and once Thanksgiving is done and dusted.

Christmas pud update.....(need funny little news noises here...) It's lovely and drunk....sitting in a tupperware well wrapped and waiting for some hard sauce. I am just happy to have one more tradition added to our rather international Christmas holidays!

I made a small one and used an electric steamer to do it.  Just set it for one hour 6 times.  The steaming is a pain, but it was still fun.  Next adventure...Cornish Pasties...

Glad it went well for you! I'm still searching for the basin!!!

By coincidence, I just made up a bunch of cornish pasties. Let me know if you need a recipe!

Did you have to ask....?

   Your making me very hungry for some Christmas pudding  vnicepeeps  My Step-daughter is bring me some over next week,yummmmmmmmmmmm

 Now tell me how you make cornish pasties ???I have heard of pasties,but havent attempted yet to make them.
 
 It took me awhile,but Iam able to make Yorkshire Pudding,that even my hubby is proud of

Pasties are dead easy to make.  Here is the recipe I use for beef pasties that you don't even have to cook beforehand. You can alter the root veg to your taste if you are not a turnip fan!

Cornish Pasty recipe for 4 pasties using a six inch diameter tea plate

Ingredients for short crust pastry
1lb plain flour
1/2 lb with half lard and half butter (do use the lard!)
pinch of salt
cold water to mix

Method
Rub the lard/butter into the flour but not too finely. I sometimes cut the fat into small lumps. Add the salt and then start adding the water gradually until it works together into a ball without being sticky. Put aside in a cool place.

Ingredients for filling
0.75lb beef, not stewing beef
raw potato
raw Swede turnip
small onion
salt and pepper (buy peppercorns)
a walnut sized piece of butter

Method
Cut the steak into small pieces but do not mince. Slice potato and Swede into thin, small pieces about half an inch across. Chop onion finely. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to about 0.25 inch thickness. Using a small plate cut out circles. Moisten the edge with water and support half of the pastry nearest to you over the rolling pin. On the other half, put a small layer of prepared vegetables then a layer of beef. Repeat this once but be careful not to have too much filling which would cause the pastry to burst during the cooking process. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper then add a small bit of the butter. Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the filling (this helps to make the gravy). Fold the other half of pastry which has been resting on the rolling pin over the filling and squeeze the half circle edges firmly together. Starting at the right side whilst supporting the left side with other hand, using first finger and thumb turn the edge over to form a crimp. Repeat this process all along the edge. This will come with practice but you must get a good seal. Brush pasty with beaten egg wash to help with browning process and put a small one inch cut in the centre of the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in a hot oven 220 degrees centigrade for about 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 160 degrees centigrade for a further 40 minutes. Smaller pasties need less time. If they are browning too quickly cover loosely with greased paper.

  Ta very much for the recipie.I have never used lard,but I think that it is still sold here ???Maybe I can use crisco instead.

 I know that we have something similar here,like calzones,which I believe is an Italian dish.

 Iam looking foward in trying these out

It really needs lard - that's what gives the pastry such nice texture and flavour.  Really!

  Ta very much for the recipie.I have never used lard,but I think that it is still sold here ???Maybe I can use crisco instead.

You're in KY right? I don't know if they have them there but I usually find lard here at HEB grocery stores. It's in the section with the crisco and vegetable oil. It's usually on the lowest shelf in tubs and actually I've seen it sometimes in boxes. I've seen it at other grocery stores too (even Walmart) but I know for sure every HEB I've been to sells it. But then again it could be because we have such a large hispanic community here in Houston. (They cook with it a LOT)

If a recipe calls for lard usually it doesn't turn out as well if you use crisco. It doesn't mean it will be bad..it just won't have that same full rich flavor.

Good luck finding the lard.

Oh and thanks for posting the recipe Hopster..I'll have to try it.

 Ta very much Melissa,like I said I have heard of it,and your right Iam sure they still sell it.I guess its one of those things,that if you never hear about it much,then you dont think about using it.

I will take both you and Hopster's word that it really is the best to use,and I will go lard searching now

 Yep Iam sure that there are plenty of people here in KY that still use it.I have heard that people use it for biscuits etc...

vnicepeeps, I am woefully late but have finished my xmas pudding. I went out and bought a mason cash pudding basin (well other half did), then it fell out of my cupboard onto my tiled floor and smashed into a hundred pieces. So I hid it and went and bought another one (so other half doesn't get ratty about wastage). ANd this weekend tackled the pudding. Painfully easy to make - very similiar to xmas cake. Just blob it together and let it stew overnight. THe steaming was a pain as I had to go out but I just started it back up when I got home and left it a bit longer. It smells nice and I had a small taste and I think it will be yummy. Superior to store bought? Not sure, I look forward to finding out. Found out my MIL has never made one so i'm bringing the xmas pud to xmas dinner at her house - I think I won some points there for hard work