Plum Pudding
intro
Rich, spiced, fruit-packed steamed festive pudding, a centuries-old British Christmas classic, traditionally served flaming with brandy butter for holiday feasts.
Ingredients
Steps
Soak the dried fruit
In a large mixing bowl, combine 350g mixed dried fruit, lemon and orange zest, 150ml dark stout, and 3 tablespoons (45ml) brandy. Stir well to fully coat every piece of fruit, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave to soak at room temperature for 12 hours (or overnight) to plump fruit and infuse deep, rich flavors.
Combine pudding base
After soaking, add 110g shredded suet, 110g fresh white breadcrumbs, 110g dark brown soft sugar, 55g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice, 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 2 tablespoons (30ml) black treacle, and the beaten large egg to the fruit bowl. Stir thoroughly for 2–3 minutes until all ingredients are evenly combined into a thick, sticky, dark brown mixture with no visible dry flour or breadcrumb patches.
Prep steaming basin
Grease a 1.2-liter (2-pint) heatproof ceramic pudding basin thoroughly with 1 teaspoon of softened butter. Cut a 10cm diameter circle of baking parchment to fit the base of the basin, then press it flat into the greased bottom. Spoon the pudding mixture into the basin, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to eliminate trapped air pockets, and smooth the top surface to an even flat layer 2cm below the basin rim.
Seal the pudding
Cut a 30cm square of baking parchment and a matching 30cm square of aluminum foil (both 10cm larger than the 20cm diameter basin top). Fold a 2cm deep pleat down the center of both layers to allow for pudding expansion. Lay the parchment over the foil, then set the pleated cover over the basin top, securing tightly with kitchen string tied firmly around the basin rim. Tie a looped string handle across the top of the basin for easy lifting, then trim excess paper and foil to 2cm below the string tie.
Steam the pudding
Place a 5cm tall wire trivet at the bottom of a large 8-liter deep stockpot, then set the sealed pudding basin on the trivet. Pour boiling water into the pot until the water level reaches halfway up the sides of the basin. Bring the water to a gentle, steady simmer over medium-low heat (no rolling boil), then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Steam for 6 full hours, checking the water level every 45 minutes and topping up with freshly boiled water as needed to ensure the pot never runs dry.
Cool and mature pudding
After 6 hours of steaming, carefully lift the pudding from the pot using the looped string handle, setting it on a heatproof mat. Remove the foil and parchment cover, then let the pudding cool completely to room temperature (approximately 2 hours) while still in the basin. For best flavor, mature the pudding: prick the top all over with a thin skewer, pour 1 tablespoon (15ml) of brandy over the top, then re-seal with fresh pleated parchment and foil. Store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 3 months, adding 1 more tablespoon of brandy every 2 weeks if desired. For immediate serving, skip maturation and proceed to the re-steaming step once cool.
Re-steam and serve
On serving day, re-seal the pudding basin with fresh pleated parchment and foil, then set it back on the trivet in the stockpot. Steam for 1.5 hours over medium-low heat, maintaining a gentle simmer and topping up water levels as needed. Carefully lift the pudding from the pot, remove the cover, and turn the pudding out onto a warm serving platter. Warm 2 tablespoons (30ml) of brandy in a small pan over low heat, light it carefully with a long match, and pour the flaming brandy over the pudding to serve alongside brandy butter or vanilla custard.
Tips
2.The central pleat in the parchment and foil cover is essential: it creates extra space for the pudding to expand as it steams, preventing the seal from bursting and condensation from dripping into the pudding to make it soggy.
3.For a non-alcoholic version suitable for children and teetotal guests, replace the stout with strongly brewed cold black tea and swap all brandy for fresh orange juice, skipping the tableside flaming step when serving.
Wait, 8 whole hours of steaming? I don’t have a steamer pot that big that can hold water that long without running dry! Is there a shortcut I can use here? I really want to make this for my in-laws’ visit next weekend.
Game changer recipe! I swapped the regular flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend to fit my celiac needs, and it turned out absolutely perfect. Brought it to our neighborhood potluck and no one could tell it was GF! Has anyone tried adding a splash of extra brandy to the soak?
How far in advance can I make this? I’m trying to get all my Christmas meal prep done this weekend so I don’t have to cook the day of, and this looks like the perfect make-ahead dessert.
Wait, my pudding stuck really bad to the basin when I tried to turn it out after steaming! Did I do something wrong? I greased it like I do my regular cake pans, but it still fell apart a little when I got it out. Tasted amazing though!
This is so rich and delicious! I served mine with a hard sauce like my grandma used to make, and my whole family went crazy for it. What are other people serving this with? I want to switch it up next time I make it.
Uh oh, I totally forgot to soak the fruit overnight! I only have like 2 hours before I need to start steaming this for our dinner party tonight. Can I quick-soak the fruit in warm liquid to make up for it?
I was so intimidated by the medium difficulty rating and long cook time, but this recipe was so straightforward! I made this for our family Sunday dinner and everyone raved. The spicing is perfect, not too heavy, and the fruit is so tender. 10/10!
Has anyone tried making this fully vegan? I want to bring it to my office holiday party but a few of us are vegan, so I need to swap the eggs and suet.
Brought this to my annual ugly sweater potluck last weekend and it won the dessert contest! People were coming up to me all night asking for the recipe. Absolute home run.
Can I steam this in my Instant Pot instead of on the stovetop? I don’t love leaving my stovetop on for 8 hours straight when I’m running around the house doing holiday prep.
I see the recipe doesn’t call for nuts, right? My son has a severe tree nut allergy so I have to be super careful with holiday dessert recipes, cross contamination is such a worry.
Wait, I was expecting this to have fresh plums in it? I bought a whole bag of plums at the farmers market specifically for this, oops. Is it too late to chop some up and add them?
I added a little extra cinnamon and a pinch of cloves to my batter because I love extra spiced desserts, and it was so cozy! Tastes like Christmas in every bite. I will absolutely be adding this to my annual holiday rotation.
This tastes exactly like the plum pudding my grandma used to make every Christmas when I was a kid! I haven’t had it in probably 20 years, and the first bite made me tear up it was so nostalgic. Absolutely perfect recipe.
OMG the leftovers are even better the next day! I warmed up a slice for breakfast with a little coffee, and it was SO good, the coziest winter morning treat ever. Will be making a double batch next year so I have extra to snack on.
I was worried this would be super expensive to make with all the dried fruit and suet, but I already had most of the spices in my pantry, and it was way more affordable than buying a pre-made plum pudding from the fancy bakery downtown. Tastes better too!
My kids loved it! I thought the boozy soak would be too much for them, but most of the alcohol cooks off during the long steam, right? They ate two slices each with whipped cream and asked when we can make it again. Total win for a mom who struggles to get her kids to try new holiday foods.
I live in a tiny studio apartment with a tiny stovetop, so I was worried I wouldn’t be able to pull this off, but I used my small 3 quart stock pot and made a mini version in a 1 pint basin, cooked it for 4 hours instead of 8 and it came out great! Perfect for two people.
I burn basically everything I make, so I was shocked this came out edible! The long slow steam means you don’t really have to worry about burning it as long as you keep the water topped up, right? Even my roommate said it was good, which is high praise coming from him.