At The Bailie, we believe Christmas pudding isn’t just a dessert – it’s a tradition. It’s the heart of the table after the turkey has been carved and the crackers have been pulled. And the best part? It’s not nearly as tricky as people make it out to be. All it really takes is a bit of patience, a good stir, and plenty of Christmas spirit.
The first thing to know about making Christmas pudding is timing. This isn’t a last-minute bake. The magic of a proper pudding comes from letting it sit and mature. Ideally, you’ll make it about six weeks before Christmas Day – around mid-November is just right. That gives all those lovely flavours time to mingle and deepen, turning something simple into something truly special. If you’re late to the game, don’t worry. Even a couple of weeks of resting time will still give you a pudding worth bragging about.
So, what goes into the perfect pudding? Think of it as a treasure chest of festive flavours – plump raisins, currants, sultanas, and chopped mixed peel, all soaking happily in a generous pour of brandy or stout overnight. The next day, you’ll mix them together with dark brown sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, suet (or butter if you prefer), eggs, and that all-important blend of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little ginger for warmth. A grated apple adds sweetness and keeps everything moist, while a drizzle of black treacle gives that gorgeous dark, glossy finish.
Once it’s all mixed together, everyone in the house should get a turn stirring the pudding and making a wish – it’s a lovely old tradition that adds a bit of fun and superstition to the process. Then it’s time to spoon the mixture into a greased pudding basin, cover it securely, and let it steam for hours. Yes, hours. This is slow food at its finest, the kind that fills your kitchen with nostalgia and the promise of something wonderful.
After it’s steamed and cooled, you wrap it up tightly and tuck it away in a cool, dark place until Christmas Day. Every so often, you can feed it with a little extra brandy to keep it moist and merry. Then, when the big day arrives, you simply reheat it with another gentle steam, pour over a splash of brandy, light it for that spectacular flame, and serve it proudly with cream, custard, or brandy butter.
A good Christmas pudding is more than just a dessert – it’s a celebration of the season itself. The rich fruit, the comforting warmth, the shared anticipation as you wait to see the blue flames dance around it… it’s tradition at its most delicious.
So whether you’re making it for the first time or you’ve been the family pudding-maker for years, this is your sign to roll up your sleeves and get stirring. After all, Christmas at The Bailie wouldn’t be Christmas without a proper pudding on the table – made with care, shared with love, and enjoyed with plenty of cheer.