Plum Pudding Recipe
It might seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas dinner (oh who are we kidding – we’ve been dreaming about it since October!) but lucky for us, it’s finally time to talk about Christmas Pudding. In Ireland, preparations for plum pudding begin in late November, so you’ve no excuse not to start getting your fingers sticky as well.
The pudding is usually made four or five weeks before Christmas Day, and pudding making is a big day in Ireland’s houses, it even has a name. On ‘Stir-up Sunday’ the tradition goes that when the mix has been crushed together, everyone in the household (read: every child jumping up and down beside the bowl) stirs it while making a Christmas wish. And the first blast of Christmas spirit steams through the house.
Neven's yum yum plum pudding
A few of the other pudding traditions have since been disregarding due to, eh dental bills. Coins stirred into the pudding mix were supposed to mean good luck for whoever found them in their slice. More often, they meant a chipped tooth. Rekindle that tradition at your own risk.
We’ve got together not one but two delectable pudding recipes for you.
The Belle Isle Cookery School in Fermanagh gave us Eileen’s recipe, a particularly scrumptious version with a buttery twist.
Chef Neven Maguire shared a recipe from beloved Auntie Maureen. Maureen’s pudding is very rich and best served with whipped cream or brandy butter.
We’re licking our lips at the thought – enjoy!
Eileen’s Light Butter Plum Pudding
The Christmas table before dinner - though we imagine it'll be just as empty after dinner!
- 225g/8oz Irish Creamery butter
- 225g/8oz soft brown sugar
- Half a bottle of Beamish Irish stout
- 225g/8oz breadcrumbs
- 50g/2oz flour
- Half a glass of Jameson Irish whiskey
- 125g/4oz currants
- 175g/6oz sultanas
- 175g/6oz raisins
- 100g/4oz cooking apple, peeled & grated
- 50g/2oz glace cherries
- 3 eggs, beaten
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- ¼ tsp. mixed spice
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. baking powder
Method
- Grease and line the base of a 1.2/1.4 ltr/2-2½ pt. pudding basin with grease proof paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together well. Add the sifted flour and breadcrumbs alternately with the beaten eggs.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir in the stout, whiskey and orange juice.
- Spoon the mixture into a pudding bowl. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper, tie to secure and wrap in foil.
- Put into a large pan and pour in boiling water to come one third of the way up the basin. Ideally your basin should be standing on a trivet. Bring to the boil and steam for 5 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary to stop the pot from boiling dry.
- The pudding should be risen and firm to the touch. Cool completely. To reheat, steam for 2 hours.
Christmas dinner is not complete without a pudding
Auntie Maureen’s Plum Pudding
Ingredients
(Serves 10-12)
- 50g (2oz) plain flour
- ½ tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 175g (6oz) soft brown sugar
- 175g (6oz) raisins
- 50g (2oz) currants
- 225g (8oz) sultanas
- 50g (2oz) candied mixed peel
- 50g (2oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- ½ apple, peeled, cored and diced
- ½ small carrot, grated finely
- Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
- 175g (6oz) butter, melted plus extra for greasing
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 300ml (½ pint) stout brandy sauce and whipped cream to serve
Method
1. Sift together the flour, mixed spice, nutmeg and cloves. Add the breadcrumbs, sugar, raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel, almonds, apple, carrot, lemon rind, lemon juice and melted butter and mix until well combined. Gradually add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly followed by the stout.
2. Mix everything thoroughly and cover with a clean tea towel, then leave in a cool place overnight. Use the fruit mixture to fill two 1.2 litre (2 pint) greased pudding bowls. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and tin foil, then tie tightly under the rim with string. Store in a cool, dry place.
3. To cook, preheat an oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2 and stand each pudding basin in a large cake tin three quarters full of boiling water, then cook for 6-8 hours (or you can steam for 6 hours in the usual way). Cool, re-cover with clean greaseproof paper. Again, store in a cool, dry place.
4. On Christmas Day, re-cover with greaseproof paper and foil. Steam, in the same manner, for 2-3 hours until completely cooked through and tender. Cut the plum pudding into slices and arrange on plates.
5. Serve with dollops of the brandy sauce and whipped cream.
Keep cooking with more luscious recipes from Neven Maguire and the Belle Isle Cookery School.
Our blog has delicious recipes from all over Ireland.
Let me preface this by saying, I am not Irish and I have never been to Ireland (although I hope to remedy that in the near future). This Christmas is a little more special as it is the first time in 7 years that my entire family will be together on Christmas day. And since these recipes remind me of the Christmas rum cake my mother used to make, I would love to make plum pudding for our dinner. Unfortunately, I have a few questions and want to make sure I have the right ingredients.
1. What is the difference between Irish Creamery butter and the plain ole butter you by at the store?
2. What is mixed spice? I cannot find it or we call it something else here in the U.S.
I know these questions may sound silly but I am dead serious about making sure I have the right ingredients especially since this is the first time I will be making this. Thank you for helping me.
the measurements might be a challange for some here in the states!!!
ROTF,LMHO …. I especially like Eileen’s recipe, in that it calls for a half bottle of Stout, and a half glass of Jamison … in as much as that allows the cook to drink the ‘other half’ of both! ;~}
I agree with Beverly! Love it!
Here here to drinking the other half…
i also agree with Beverly. love it! best i have ever made
For Trina,
Mixed spice can be found in the import stores, and in the supermarket “international aisle”. You can also make your own, did you know that? It’s simple: just mix equal amounts of ground cinnaman, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground mace, ground ginger. mix well together and you have….. you got it – Mixed Spice! It works for me when I don’t have the prepared stuff. You can make enough to do you for a few bakings.
Hope this is helpful.
Sheelagh
Mixed spice includes a balance of some or all of the following ground spices: Cinnamon, Coriander Seed, Caraway, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves, Allspice, Mace.
In the US, Pumpkin Pie Spice mix is a great alternative to mixed spice.
Use good salt free real butter
i love beverly’s idea i think we should all get to-gether,when we are making the pudding, it would be a great party,
All Spice is Mixed Spice Tina and regular butter will do… I am from Dublin and this brings back memories of my Ma hanging the pudding weeks before Xmas it makes me “smile”… Happy Christmas to All………..
I can’t wait to make it! Though…I don’t think it will travel well aboard a plane…so I guess I’ll send it to my Mother in law to make
I have many a happy memory of my dear late Mother making Christmas puddings and cakes and the smell of fruit and whiskey in the air in the kitchen, always heralded Christmas, as we children longed for Santy to come. So now this year I think I will start a tradition in my US kids lives by sharing some of my Irish childhood and the smell of fruit and a drop of the quare stuff!! Thank you so much for this.
Thank you everyone! I’m not worried about the measurements (I have measuring cups that include grams). I will definitely be mixing up some “mixed spice” and will probably include it in some of my other baked goodies.
Maybe I make a plum pudding just for myself, after all the baking & cooking I will have to do for 43 people I’ll need it and the left over whiskey!
Thank you again.
Trina
what is greaseproof paper?
greaseproof paper, i think is the same as parchment paper, at least that’s what we used,,im from co galway, long time ago , places i worked made great puddings, wish i had the recipies,,