flipChristmas Plum Pudding
Christmas Plum Pudding
Why this dish? For a poor child of the Victorian and Edwardian era, the flaming Christmas plum pudding was THE highlight of the year — the only moment of sweet abundance. Chaplin, who filmed so many dream feasts of the destitute (the imaginary meal in *The Gold Rush*), knew this pudding as the very embodiment of festive plenty.
A dense pudding of dried fruits, breadcrumbs and suet, flavored with spices and candied peel, long steamed in a cloth or bowl, then flambéed with brandy at serving.
Ah, the Christmas pudding! In poor homes, we'd prepare it weeks ahead, and everyone would stir the batter and make a wish — I suppose I had to wish to eat my fill. It was tied in a floured cloth and boiled for hours, filling the room with a sweet steam that was worth all the dreams. On the great day, we'd pour brandy over it and set it alight — and for a moment, in that blue flame, even the poorest were rich.
- •Raisins and currants — a lot (fruit)
- •Beef suet — a good amount (moistness)
- •Stale breadcrumbs — two handfuls (structure)
- •Candied orange and lemon peel — a little (flavor)
- •Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger) — a pinch each (spices)
- •Eggs — a few (binder)
- •Brandy or stout — a glass (flavor and flambé)
Christmas Plum Pudding
A dense pudding of dried fruits, breadcrumbs and suet, flavored with spices and candied peel, long steamed in a cloth or bowl, then flambéed with brandy at serving.
Why this dish? For a poor child of the Victorian and Edwardian era, the flaming Christmas plum pudding was THE highlight of the year — the only moment of sweet abundance. Chaplin, who filmed so many dream feasts of the destitute (the imaginary meal in *The Gold Rush*), knew this pudding as the very embodiment of festive plenty.
Ah, the Christmas pudding! In poor homes, we'd prepare it weeks ahead, and everyone would stir the batter and make a wish — I suppose I had to wish to eat my fill. It was tied in a floured cloth and boiled for hours, filling the room with a sweet steam that was worth all the dreams. On the great day, we'd pour brandy over it and set it alight — and for a moment, in that blue flame, even the poorest were rich.
Ingredients (period version)
- Raisins and currants — a lot (fruit)
- Beef suet — a good amount (moistness)
- Stale breadcrumbs — two handfuls (structure)
- Candied orange and lemon peel — a little (flavor)
- Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger) — a pinch each (spices)
- Eggs — a few (binder)
- Brandy or stout — a glass (flavor and flambé)
Ingredients
- Raisins + currants + sultanas — 500 g total (fruit)
- Grated beef suet (or vegetable suet) — 120 g (moistness)
- Fresh breadcrumbs — 120 g (structure)
- Flour — 120 g (structure)
- Brown sugar — 150 g (sugar)
- Mixed candied peel — 60 g (flavor)
- Ground nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger — 1 tsp total (spices)
- Eggs — 2 (binder)
- Brandy — 60 ml + a little for flambé (flavor and flambé)
Method
- Mix all the fruits, sugar, suet, breadcrumbs, flour and spices.
- Beat in the eggs and brandy; stir well (each person makes a wish, according to tradition).
- Pour into a buttered pudding bowl, cover with greaseproof paper then a tied cloth.
- Steam for 4 to 6 hours in a large pot half-filled with simmering water (top up water as needed).
- Allow to cool; it keeps for weeks. On the day, re-steam for 2 hours.
- Unmold, heat a little brandy, ignite it and pour over the pudding to serve flambéed.
How it was made : The pudding was made on 'Stir-up Sunday', five weeks before Christmas, to 'mature'. Steaming in a cloth (later in earthenware bowls) allowed it to be cooked in a simple pot without an oven — essential in working-class homes that didn't have one.
The contemporary twist : Served with warm custard or brandy butter (butter whipped with sugar and cognac), it remains the quintessential British Christmas dessert.
Charlie Chaplin · Charactorium
