Granny Bertioli’s Christmas Pudding

Granny made the Christmas pudding every year, although she used vegetarian suet and I like to use proper beef suet. It was always accompanied by Brandy Butter, lovingly made by Grandma. It isn’t Christmas in our household without this pudding and brandy butter.

First published in House and Garden. Photography by Helen Cathcart.

Serves 6
Prep time: 1hour
simmer TIME: 3hours


INGREDIENTS 

Dry ingredients 

225g fresh white breadcrumbs  

225g suet  

225g soft brown sugar  

50g ground almonds  

1 heaped tsp mixed spice  

¼tsp ginger  

50g plain flour  

¼tsp bicarbonate of soda  

 
Wet ingredients 

3 eggs  

200ml ale 

50g candied peel  

Fruit 

225g raisins  

225g currants  

225g sultanas  

1 lemon, zest and juice  

 

20g caster sugar – for caramel  

50ml brandy 

 

25g butter greasing 

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together and make a well in the centre. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate vessel and add into the well.

  2. Stir everything together. Place the sugar in a pan over high heat and allow it to caramelize. When the caramel has turned a rich brown colour, take it off the heat. Pour the brandy into the caramel and stir as the caramel dissolves.

  3. Stir the caramel and brandy into the pudding followed by the fruit. Prepare your pudding bowl by lightly buttering it and then placing a small round of greaseproof paper in the base, it should come halfway up the sides of the bowl.

  4. Fill the bowl with the pudding mixture and place a second round of paper atop the mix. Seal the basin tight with two layers of tinfoil tied with string, folding the tinfoil back up over the string, ensuring the pudding is encased snugly within.

  5. Get a pan large enough to contain the whole pudding basin and fill with water so it comes a third of the way up the bowl. Foil and lid the pan, then cook the pudding at a simmer for 5 hours, checking periodically that the water has not evaporated. 

  6. The pudding will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, seal the pudding in a fresh pan with water and simmer for 3 hours before turning out. 

 

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“Eat and Be Merry: Recipes by Charlie Hibbert”

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