Stir-Up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. Since a proper Christmas Pudding is much improved by age, this is the traditional day to begin the process!
Come join us at the Athenæum Club on Stir-Up Sunday (this year on the the 23rd of November) at 10 a.m. as our very own Mrs. Sadler (club cook extraordinaire) demonstrates how to make a traditional Christmas Pudding…. And join in with the holiday tradition of giving the pudding a stir while making a Secret New Year’s Wish… (remember to stir east-to-west, to honor the journey of the Wise Men)!
The Christmas Pudding is one of the essential British Christmas traditions and is said to have been introduced to Britain by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, but the reality is that King George I, first requested a ‘Special Pudding for Christmas’ to be made in 1714. The Original Recipe is said to have been in the possession of the Royal Family since that time. It was initially called a ‘Plum Pudding’ (keep in mind that the word ‘plum’ was a generic name for dried fruit). The use of the term ‘Christmas Pudding’ did not come into use until the 1830s.
In Medieval Europe, recipes for puddings often called for a mix of dried fruit, suet (fat), a liquid like wine, and breadcrumbs, spices, and eggs. ‘Plum Pottage’ made an appearance in the early 15th Century; a mixture often served at the beginning of a meal that mostly contained meats and vegetables. The plum referred to any dried fruit. By the 18th Century, dried fruit such as raisins and prunes were more readily available and the puddings underwent a shift from savory to sweet.
The puddings were originally boiled in a pudding cloth. During Queen Victoria’s Reign, the use of the pudding basin has become popular; this allows the pudding to be steamed, instead of boiled.
The Christmas Pudding became popular in the early part of the Century when the dessert became associated with Christmas, possibly due to Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Eliza Acton, the cookbook writer, offered an early recipe, possibly the first in print, for Christmas Pudding. Recipes were often handed down and differed from household to household. Mrs. Sadler shares with us her own family recipe!
Traditionally the pudding will have flaming brandy poured over it and will be served with a holly sprig adorning it as a symbol of the Christmas Season. It is served with Hard Sauce, made of sugar, butter and brandy.
Most recipes for Christmas Pudding require it to be cooked well in advance of Christmas, so that it can be happily Brandied in the weeks in between Stir-Up Sunday and Christmas Day. It is then reheated on Christmas Day while the family is at dinner!
Interpreting History 