Christmas is nearing, now is the time to make your all important pudding

It harks back to Victorian times when families would gather together and take turns in stirring the pudding. The opening words of the Book of Common Prayer read “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord”. Christmas pudding would traditionally comprise of 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the 12 disciples. When a family stirred they did it in an east to west direction to remember the wise men who visited Jesus in the nativity story. Coins are added to bring luck especially if you found them in your share on Christmas Day.

For many years I taught in a college and one of the benefits was access to the industrial steamer oven at Christmas to do your puddings. When making them at home they will take about six hours to cook making for a very steamy atmosphere. The recipe for Christmas pudding here is one of my late friend’s Jane McAuley. We taught together for over 20 years and she was a terrific baker. She made the puddings when we came back after Halloween giving them plenty of time to mature. If you’re making your puddings tomorrow make a wish when you’re giving them a stir. I’ll have a wee toot in Jane’s honour and toast an absent friend.

In the run up to the festive period it’s always a good idea to have a pudding or the basis of one in the freezer. Yule log is a classic Christmas dessert and the sponge part can be frozen ahead of time and defrosted when needed. The filling for the log is mulled fruits combined with cream. Plums, pears and frozen cherries are poached in red wine with citrus and spices. It makes more than you need for the log but will keep in the fridge to have with icecream or as a garnish for a cheesecake or ginger bread. When filled the log is piped with a chocolate ganache and garnished with chocolate stars, golden baubles or anything you wish.