Stir up Monday

I didn't have time to make my Christmas puddings on Sunday, the traditional stir up day,  but I'm sure they will taste just as good. I make quite a large batch for family and friends. Not a lover of puddings myself, I am always surprised that they go on asking for them year after year and I have to keep my enthusiasm going by trying out different recipes. This year I based my mixture on a Tamsin Day-Lewis recipe but without the nuts and cider brandy; I never add nuts when I can't be sure of who will eat my products and I wasn't able to find cider brandy in the local shops. If you want the original recipe you can find it here. 

The first thing I do before making Christmas cakes, mincemeat and puddings is to throw away all my old spices and buy fresh. It really does make a difference! There are a lot of ingredients in the pudding mix and it is easy to miss one (or more!) so I prepare them first and line them up in order on the counter.  When the ingredients have been prepared it is simply a matter of putting them all into the largest mixing bowl you have and stirring! I cook mine overnight in the simmering oven of the Aga so my house is not filled with the lovely spicy smell of Christmas - the chimney takes all the cooking smells outside so I have to stand in the yard to enjoy them!

In goes all the beautiful fruit

Time for the great stir up

I got two large and three small puddings from the mixture

Puddings in the oven, now to put my feet up .... oh, I forgot about this!

If you didn't make your pudding on Stir-up Sunday, don't worry. I have been known to make them two weeks later and no-one has noticed the difference. And then there is always Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury and Tesco!