Please put a penny in the old man's hat!

Onwards with the theme of Christmas (I will stop soon as I think of what to do with my pumpkin innards!). My gorgeous Cath Kidston Christmas Organiser arrived in the post care of Amazon (£4.50 off RRP if anyone else wants one) and I tore it open with great excitement. I was not disappointed! Many things make me happy in life, and organisation and nice stationery come very highly. There are loads of lovely sections to organise presents, cards, guests, recipes and it comes with stickers too- bonus! This weekend I shall be getting it filled in with lots of ideas and jotting down the gifts I have bought/made already as well as special Christmas recipes of course.

The Christmas pudding has been steamed today by yummy Grandma and my little man and looks delicious, cannot wait to dig in on Christmas day. I went for Nigella's recipe from How To Be A Domestic Goddess, Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking and here it is, it's a doddle!

The types of fruit are just a guide so you can change them to suit your tastes, maintaining the amounts though. Most of them should be able to be found easily in the Supermarket apart from marron glace pieces which will be more of a mission. I reckon Waitrose would be your best bet on the high street, I'm afraid I substituted them for more blueberries and cherries!

Christmas Pudding

100g currants,

100g mixed raisins and sultanas,

50g glace cherries chopped into quarters,

50g dried blueberries,

50g prunes, roughly chopped,

50g marron glace pieces, chopped,

60g candied peel,

150ml rum, (or other spirits, I used a mixture of sherry and Cointreau) 

90g self raising flour,

125g white breadcrumbs,

150 shredded suet, (beef or vege- I went for the latter)

1 quince/medium cooking apple grated,

150g dark brown sugar,

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice,

Pinch of salt,

Zest of 1 orange,

3 large eggs.

1. Soak all the fruit overnight in the alcohol.

2. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl, then add the soaked fruit.

3. Mix together thoroughly and make a wish! (This is a vital part of the pudding process!)

4. Butter a 1 1/2 litre pudding basin and put the mixture into it, alternatively you can use two smaller ones like we did.

5. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper in which you have folded a pleat, and either cover with a lid or secure with a elastic band.

6. Boil or steam the pudding for 3 1/2 hours.

7. Once cool, turn it out and rewrap it and then find it a cool dark place to live until Christmas.

8. On Christmas Day steam for another 3 1/2 hours before serving, or do this part the night before and heat in the microwave on the day!

 I am SO looking forward to scouting out some more Christmas recipes to try over the festive season such as Gingerbread Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream.

This week I am on the hunt for the perfect thinly iced soft German gingerbread recipe to rival Lidls Gingerbread rounds which I think are the best around, and easily beat more expensive brands! They don't last long in our house so I would love to find a recipe to make some myself, let me know if anyone spots one!

xxx