A Lestrian Christmas Pudding!
The Christmas Pudding wasn't a tradition in England until it was introduced to the Victorians by Prince Albert. It was a tradition that quickly became established within English customs.
Sadly today, because of the length of time it takes to cook a pudding, most are bought instead of made. The actual cooking of a pudding takes roughly about eight hours, however the prep time is much longer. The pudding gets the majority of it's flavour and richness when marinated in alcohol, usually brandy, cider or both. The marinating process can take weeks, and the longer the fruit is marinated, the better the flavour.
Once made however, if wrapped well, puddings can keep for a long time. So if you're worried about trying to cook a dessert that takes 8 hours on the same day as Christmas lunch, it can always be made beforehand and stored.
With store bought puddings, the time is decreased drastically. The pudding is already cooked and just needs heating. However, buying a store bought pudding decreases some of the tradition's of making a pudding from scratch and that's always sad. Originally when the pudding was homemade, it was made on the Sunday before Advent. Each family member would stir the mixture and make a wish. The money would be added, usually silver (we could only afford sixpence's!), and whoever found the coin or coins in their serving would supposedly have good fortune for the coming year.
So have I convinced you yet to try this wonderful delight? Are you convinced enough to attempt to make one maybe?
If so, then check out these recipes at the following web sites:
See you next week for some more British traditions!
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