Delicious Gluten Free Christmas Pudding

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Presenting my Gluten Free Christmas Pudding Recipe. The original recipe I had on the website used a gluten free rich fruit cake mix that is no longer on the market. After bit of research into Christmas Puddings and the history, I came up with a recipe that keeps things relatively simple, my mantra is to keep things simple.

I know this is the best ever gluten free Christmas Pudding, why? Because my brother-in-law ate seconds. I cannot stress how much of a testimonial this is. he said it was the best he’d ever had!

What day is Stir Up Sunday this year?

This year Stir Up Sunday falls on the 20th November 2022. But why is there even such a thing as Stir Up Sunday? The linked article in National Today is excellent at explaining it in full but here’s the gist of why it’s a thing here in the UK.

As it’s a Sunday leading up to Christmas, it’s religiously important to Christians, who mark the day with specific Bible readings. However, since the Victorian era, it has been a day of family celebration and cooking! Traditionally, family members would stir pudding and make wishes for the new year on this day.

National today – Stir up sunday

Is Figgy Pudding the same as Christmas pudding?

If you look back far enough, many of our Christmas traditions actually began as savoury dishes. The word pudding in the the medieval period referred to a meat dish with spices, stale bread crumbs and sometimes dried fruit to pack it out and add a touch of sweetness. As the years went by sugar became plentiful and over years and years puddings became the sweet, rich versions we are familiar with today.

In one of my Mince Pie recipes, I explain the origins of mincemeat and how it originally was minced meat in pies. These were studded with dried fruits such as cherries which were more than plentiful in England. The word ‘plum’ is actually taken from the Victorian word for raisins therefore no actual plums are used in the making of a Plum Pudding. The term Figgy Pudding is a little more of a grey area, but it is possibly because many medieval puddings included figs as an ingredient.

There is a recipe for Fig pudding in Mrs Beetons Book of Household Cookery and Management. At half the cost of the Plum Pudding at 2 shillings, it’s made with figs, flour, suet and 2 eggs. However, Mrs Beeton refers to the Christmas Plum Pudding later in the book. This is a far more rich and extravagant dish;

1 1/2 lb of raisins, 1/2 lb of currants, 1/2 lb of mixed peel, 3/4 lb of breadcrumbs, 3/4 lb of suet, 8 eggs, 1 glass of wine or brandy

Five or six of these pudding should be made at one time as they will keep good for many weeks, and in cases where unexpected guests arrive, will be found an acceptable [and] quickly prepared dish

– Mrs Isabella Beeton

Can a Coeliac have Brandy or other spirits?

How far in advance do you make Christmas pudding?

As mentioned at the beginning of this post. Stir up Sunday takes place one month before Christmas Day. Therefore you can sue this as a guide to when to make your gluten free Christmas Pudding.

I’ve been known to make mine even earlier so I can sneak a few more glugs of brandy into it (hic)!

Do I need to soak the fruit in advance?

This is me here, you know I’m always up for the most simple recipe option so in this recipe I don’t bother with the overnight soaking. The results are still delicious. However, if I have time and life’s little drama’s don’t distract me I try to remember to soak the fruit the night before.

This year I planned to do exactly that but a marathon Harry Potter film session with my son took precedent so here I am soaking the fruit before my morning cup of tea ready to add the rest of the ingredients later. The point is don’t beat yourself up if you have a day planned to make you pudding and you forgot to soak the fruit for hours and hours. This pudding will forgive you.

What size pudding bowl do I need to use?

I use a medium sized pudding basin. It fits 600ml of liquid easily and measures 16cm wide. You can get smaller pint sized pudding bowls and if you have one of them you could still make this recipe and have a little left over for a tiny individual Christmas pudding if you have a ramekin handy.

Ideally we need to bring the pudding bowl measurements into the 21st Century because it can be so confusing with all the different sizes in pints, pounds and litres. Why not just have them small, medium and large. Or is it just me who thinks this?

While we’re on the subject of large, if you want to double this recipe and make a large family size Christmas pudding then you’ll need this 2.5 litre pudding bowl.

How do I cover my pudding ready to steam?

To put your pudding to bed, aka get it ready for steaming. You’ll need greaseproof paper and foil. Make a pleat in both paper and foil (this allows for expansion when the pudding steams) secure the layers over the pudding bowl and wrap tightly around the edges. You don’t want the stream to sneak into your pudding as it will make it soggy.

I’ve used an elastic band to secure the paper and foil in place in the past but this year I used a clean bit of cotton cloth to tie round the pudding bowl. The second method needs to be tied loosely to allow the pudding to expand. To be fair, Christmas pudding do not rise but the fruit will swell a little.

Is Christmas pudding the same as fruit cake?

Yes, but no. A rich fruit cake is less likely to have suet as an ingredient. Christmas Cake is baked for a couple of hours on a very low heat, often as low as your oven can go. Whilst a Plum or Christmas Pudding is boiled or steamed. Speaking of boiling, I have a delicious recipe for a Scottish recipe on the website. My Free From Clootie Dumpling: a traditional pudding is a highland version of the pudding that is enjoyed for Christmas and Hogmanay.

How do I get a Christmas Pudding out of the Pudding Bowl?

The trick to getting your Christmas Pudding out of the pudding basin is to let it cool completely. A Christmas Pudding is not meant to be made on the day. This is a recipe you can take comfort in making way in advance and not have to worry about again until you sit down for dinner. That is when you put your pudding on to steam quietly in the background. In the meantime, you sit with your family and guests on Christmas Day and enjoy the festivities.

The best method is to let your pudding cool completely. Next, gently run a flat edged knife around the pudding freeing it from the sides of the bowl and turn out onto a plate. You can now re-grease the sides of the pudding bowl, and if you wish line with a little circle of greaseproof paper. Pop the pudding back in the bowl and wrap securely in two layers of foil. Store in the fridge or a cool cupboard until Christmas Day.

Can I add more to make this a luxury Christmas Pudding?

Absolutely, you can add more in the way of ingredients to make this a luxury Christmas pudding. The idea is that this pudding is still as delicious and traditional tasting without all the frills. No need for gluten, dairy, egg or nuts.

However, if you can have nuts then add some flaked almonds and a few tablespoons of ground almond. If you have some oranges and lemons in the fruit bowl, add the zest of each. If you have more than 100g of glace cherries in the cupboard, throw in a few more.

I encourage you to have fun with this recipe and add your personal touch and as always, please do let me know how you get on and share your photos with me on social media. I do a little happy dance every time I see someone’s baking success.

Additional Luxury Ingredients;

• extra glace cherries
• zest of an orange/lemon or both
• almond flakes
• ground almonds
• chopped dates
• chopped prunes
• high quality brandy such as Rémy Martin XO
• orange liqueur such as Cointreau

What can I serve with my Christmas Pudding?

There is a long list of delicious sauces and accompaniments to go with your Christmas Pudding. I have tried and tested recipes to make three delicious accompaniments to go perfectly with Christmas Pudding, mince pies and other festive desserts. Presenting my Luxury Homemade Brandy Butter made dairy free and vegan. Simple Homemade Brandy Sauce recipe made dairy free and vegan, and my Homemade Clotted Cream made dairy free and vegan

Delicious Gluten Free Christmas Pudding Recipe

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For full transparency, in 2020 I made my first £25, and in 2022 I reached my next £25 (Amazon don’t transfer the money until you reach £25). Recently I got paid a whopping £27.10 for 2023.

So to date I have made £78.58 since I first started the scheme in 2017. It won’t pay the bills, that’s for sure but it does help to pay for ingredients or little treats to cheer me up!