Christmas Puddings

[daveyboi]

Does anyone still make their own traditional Christmas Pudding or cake these days?

If so when do you make them?

OR Do you have something entirely different as a desert for the Christmas Meal?

[daveyboi]

[Bill Door]

Funnily enough I have bought most of the ingredients and have the dried fruit soaking in brandy.  I haven't made one for about three years because it takes 2 people ages to eat a pudding (well one my size).  We are having the family around for Christmas as we now live near them.  Remember to "flour" your cherries before putting them in the mix (this helps to stop them sinking all the way to the bottom).

Bill

[tricia]

Not me! I've never been a fan and much prefer a refreshing fresh fruit salad to which a dash of orange liqueur has been added.

Tricia 

[squeezyjohn]

I don't like a christmas pudding and have never made one ... but Christmas Cake!!!! Oh yes!

I do the whole thing making them a couple of months in advance and ageing, feeding occasionally with a lot of brandy ... it really does help make a very special cake ... so I should get down the shops for ingredients now!

[daveyboi]

Not me! I've never been a fan and much prefer a refreshing fresh fruit salad to which a dash of orange liqueur has been added.

Tricia 

That brought back memories of our family Christmas dinners in the 50's where Mum used to make that as an alternative for those that were not keen on the Christmas Pud except  she used sherry.

[Obelixx]

I can manage a spoonful of Xmas pud and that's my lot.  Too heavy.  I buy a small organic one for OH which lasts him for Xmas day and Boxing Day but Possum and I prefer chocolate fondants.   I used to make Xmas cake well ahead of time and then go through the palaver of feeding it but whe'd end up not even starting it before Feb or even later.   Great for an energy snack on skiing hols or when gardening. 

In recent years I've avoided the palaver by making a Creole cake following Delia's recipe where all the fruit gets soaked in a mix of booze before baking one week in advance of Xmas.  Delicious, but this year we didn't start it till June - gardening in those long, cold, wet days.

We moved to France a month ago so I suspect I will have problems finding an Xmas pud of any sort and I know dried fruit is expensive and candied peel almost impossible to fond so this year I may be the last cake as I use up my stocks. 

[picman]

Wife always makes both, pud and cake, when we were working it was usually August bank holiday...but now sometime in September ( modified Delia Smith recipe, more stout , no black treacle )  In my opinion there is nothing better , you need the home made brandy butter too , 

[peanuts]

I've always made Christmas puddings, Christmas cake, and  mincemeat too.  Now with the offspring in their 30s, I only make a cake every couple of years, and freeze it in 2-person portions - it is great with a cup of tea every now and again!  Mincemeat I still make every year.  Our French friends love what I do with it. Puddings - I still have the second one I made last November, so hooray, I won't have to make one this year.

[ACE]

I declare that we should vote for brexmas and no mention of xmas this early. There are 12 days of Christmas and not one of them is in November.

[Obelixx]

Too right.  Plus OHand I have our respective b'days in late November and early December and, during our 25 years in Belgium, there was St Nicholas on the 6th of December when most Belgian kids get their prezzies.  Can't do Xmas till that's all over.

Another reason to love Delia's one week Creole cake.

[Redalder]

Cake made and in its tin being painted with brandy every week, will be iced a week before Christmas. May make small pud this weekend, but nobody ever wants more than a tiny bit.......probably will usually do it in the end.

[Borlotti]

First xmas cake in the bin as took 5 hours to cook and i went to sleep. Abit burnt and dry. 2nd cake in oven till 11pm, must stay awake, or m & s cake. Must be getting old and have always made good cakes. I blame the cat, oh or anyone else, or maybe ACE.
Put more brandy in this one.

[peanuts]

As with Christmas cake (left-overs frozen in two-person portions for eating during the year) I always left-over pudding similarly in small portions - a real treat later on!

[pumkinlover]

Always made both, rarely eat on the day as too full.
Agree with Ace about the timing of the late winter festival, decided to go Pagan this year.
However the food is just  food after all and delicious so first cake is made.
A few hrmm.... years ago (2011)  I  went a bit  bonkers with the Puddings and I just dig the last two out yesterday. Home made custard with the few eggs our chucks are producing and a lovely pudding with last nights tea.