Day 08- A holiday dessert of your choosing

[strange_complex]

There are not actually that many specifically Christmassy desserts, are there? I mean, OK - mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, maybe Yule log. I can't think of any more beyond those, though.

Still, luckily for me I genuinely love Christmas pudding (and sprouts, and parsnips, and roast turkey - which makes Christmas a very good time for me all round, really). I'll admit that it sometimes seems a bit daunting after what's already been a huge Christmas meal - but that's kind of the point at Christmas, isn't it? I probably wouldn't want to eat it more than a few times a year, either. But those few times I do genuinely look forward to.

My perfect Christmas pudding is moist, rich, aromatic, fruity, and smothered in brandy butter, thick brandy cream and hot brandy sauce. If I can only have one of those, it's the brandy cream which is most important, as it is light and cool and helps to counteract the stodgy rich hot pudding.

I actually made a Christmas pudding three years ago, which I'm happy to report came out very well - genuinely one of the nicest I have ever eaten, in fact. I enjoyed doing it, and I'd love to live the kind of lifestyle where I had the time to do that every year. But it does take a lot of time and effort, and realistically a good-quality pudding from the supermarket is much better value for time, and cheaper to boot.

Click here if you would like view this entry in light text on a dark background.

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

It has long been a great problem in my family that neither my sister nor myself like Christmas pudding. I have gradually become reconciled to mince pies, however.

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

Christmas pudding can be quite a hit-or-miss affair. I've had a few that were rather dry, which doesn't work well at all. I do remember a particularly good one a few years back we had which was from M&S and had just the right blend of spice.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

For the last few years MLW & I have made our own Christmas Pudding. We usually do it during half-term when my daughter is in Edinburgh. It's proven a good way to involve her in the on-going preparations for Christmas.

We haven't done it this year. For various reasons, mainly work in the age of austerity.

I use a syringe to inject alcohol into the heart of the pudding.

It's taken us years to work out the best way to cook the pudding.

[katsmeat.livejournal.com]

One of the joys of January used to be half-price Christmas pudding.

Though I think the supermarkets are better at stock control as I've not seen it in recent years

[biascut.livejournal.com]

My grandma always made the Christmas puddings for our family, my uncle's family and then a small extra one which Dad would have on his birthday on 6 January. I took it over four years ago, and asked Grandma for her recipe. I was expecting something on a flimsy bit of antique paper that Mrs So-and-So had vouchsafed to her in 1950-something or even 1930-something, but it turned out she just used the one on the Atora Suet packet. Pah! I made that the first year, but then switched to Delia's. I don't bother with sixpences and we have a pressure cooker, so once it's basically just mixing and then hour and a half's steaming per pudding.

I also had a conversation with my dad that went:

"I need to take all the pudding basins back up to Manchester for the Christmas puddings."
"What, even that little one? I used that to beat my scrambled eggs in?"
"Do you WANT a mini-pudding for your birthday or- "
"Oh, take it, take it!"