Delia Smith’s well-loved recipe for Traditional Christmas Pudding is a foolproof way to perfect this classic Christmas family favourite. This is quite definitely the best and, like the Christmas cake, has been made and loved by a cast of thousands over forty years. 2 litre pudding basin, lightly greased, baking parchment, foil and string, and a traditional or delia smith recipes christmas-type steamer. Take your largest, roomiest mixing bowl and start by putting in the suet and breadcrumbs, spices and sugar.
It’s also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle. Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan filled with simmering water and steam the pudding for 8 hours. Two hours before you sit down to eat your Christmas dinner, fill a saucepan quite full with boiling water, put it on the heat and, when it comes back to the boil, place a steamer on top of the pan and turn it down to a gentle simmer. Put the Christmas pudding in the steamer, cover and leave to steam away until you’re ready to eat it.
You’ll need to check the water from time to time and maybe top it up a bit. When you’re ready to serve the pudding, remove it from the steamer and take off the wrapping. Slide a palette knife all round the pudding, then turn it out on to a warmed plate. Place a suitably sized sprig of holly on top. Now warm a ladleful of brandy over direct heat and, as soon as the brandy is hot, turn out the flame and ask someone to set light to it using a long match.