Stir Up Sunday Traditions & Christmas Pudding Recipe

Disclosure: This blog post was commissioned by The Royal Mint to promote the tradition of Stir-Up Sunday.  I was compensated for my time, however all opinions are my own.

Today I'm starting the ball rolling with the first of this year's Christmas related food posts.  I know, I know, it's very early, but I've got a very good reason - I'm getting prepared for Stir-Up Sunday at the end of this month and have a very special Christmas pudding recipe to share with you!

This recipe comes courtesy of The Royal Mint, maker of the UK's circulating and commemorative coins. I'm working with The Royal Mint this year to help encourage and revive the lovely old tradition of putting a lucky sixpence coin into a homemade Christmas pudding, which is traditionally made on Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before the start of advent. I'm hoping you'll join me on the day by making your own delicious homemade Christmas puddings ready for the festive season!

Be sure to check out our recipe video, complete with my cute little helpers!

The idea of Stir-Up Sunday may be a new one to you, so I'm sharing some information about this lovely pre-Christmas tradition below:

• The Christmas pudding is one of the essential British Christmas traditions, having been introduced to the Victorians by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.
• Stir Up Sunday is the traditional day for everyone in the family to take a turn at stirring the Christmas pudding mixture whilst making a wish.
• The name Stir-Up Sunday came about for two reasons; the first is from the wording of the collect in the church service for the day which begins ” Stir up , we beseech thee O Lord” and the second is because traditionally this was the day that the Christmas pudding should be made in order for it to have time to mature before Christmas day.
• The tradition is that everyone takes a turn to stir the pudding mix and each person involved is able to make a special Christmas wish for the year ahead.
• Traditionally, a sixpence was added to the pudding mix and cooked with the pudding.  It was to bring wealth and luck to whoever found it on their plate on Christmas day.
• Another tradition is that a Christmas pudding should always be stirred from East to West in honour of the three wise men who visited the baby Jesus (This fun fact was a new one to me!).

Now, somewhat embarrassingly for a food blogger, I have to admit that I have never yet made a Christmas pudding myself, for the simple reason that my Mum makes the most perfect Christmas puddings so I've always gratefully received one from her.  This year though, I think it's about time I got the Stir-Up Sunday tradition off the ground for our own little family and what better way to do it than with our very own sixpence from The Royal Mint to add to the mixture!

This Christmas pudding recipe was commissioned by The Royal Mint and created by Rachel Walker, Food Editor of Readers Digest, ready for Stir-Up Sunday this year.  The hope is that this very special recipe will encourages families to come together and make their own this Christmas.

The tradition of stirring a Christmas sixpence into your pudding mixture is meant to bring luck to the person who finds the sixpence for the year ahead too, and is a lovely tradition to hand down to your children for years to come.

The Royal Mint Christmas Pudding Recipe

Ingredients: (serves 8-10)

• 170g sultanas
• 140g currants
• 140g raisins
• 200ml water
• 30g plain flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½tsp ground mace
• ½tsp ground ginger
• 55g breadcrumbs
• 85g shredded suet (if you cannot get hold of suet, softened butter works just as well)
• 40g chocolate (70%), grated
• 1 cooking apple, peeled and grated
• 85g soft dark brown sugar
• 20g chopped mixed peel
• 55g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 1 egg, beaten
• butter for greasing

Equipment: 

• The Royal Mint sixpence
• 1 litre pudding or heat proof bowl
• greaseproof paper
• large elastic band
• string
• stock pot
• steamer basket, deep saucer or ramekin
• tin foil

Method: 

Put the sultanas, currants and raisins in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Leave to soak, uncovered, overnight.

The next day, sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl.  Add the breadcrumbs, suet/butter, grated chocolate, grated apple, brown sugar, mixed peel, almonds, lemon and orange zest.

Mix well, using your hands to get rid of any lumps of butter and ensuring the mixture is fully blended together.

Stir in the soaked fruit, which will have plumped-up over overnight. Next, stir in the treacle, brandy and beaten egg.  Mix well, and stand overnight. Leaving the mixture to rest for a second night is optional, but the marinating helps the spices soak in.

Before you're ready to cook, stir in the sixpence. It's traditional for everyone to give the pudding a turn with a wooden spoon at this stage and make a wish at the same time (don't forget to stir from East to West!).

Use the knob of butter to grease the pudding bowl, and tip the Christmas pudding mixture into it.

Cut a circle of greaseproof paper, a few inches bigger than the rim of the bowl. Use a large elastic band to secure it over the pudding bowl with a folded pleat running through the middle. This will leave room to allow the pudding to release excess steam. Cover the top with a piece of tin foil (same size as the greaseproof paper) and then tie it tightly with the string.

Make a loop of string across the top to fashion a handle so that the pudding can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.

If you are using a steaming pot, pour some water into the bottom of the stock pot – about one eighth full – so that the steaming basket sits in the bottom, just above the water level. Bring the water to boil, and place the Christmas pudding in the basket.

(If you don’t have a steaming basket, simply use the upturned saucer or ramekin so that the pudding basin is kept away from direct contact with the base of the pan. Then fill the stock pot with water to around half-way up the side of the pudding basin.)

Put on the lid, and steam at a gentle simmer for four hours. Keep an eye on the water to make sure that the pan doesn't boil dry, and add more water from the kettle to keep it topped-up if needed.  If the lid of the stock pot doesn't fit on tightly, it's not ideal, but not disastrous, as long as there is plenty of steam circulating. Keep an even more careful eye on water levels though, as a loosely-covered pot is more likely to boil dry.

After four hours, lift the pudding out of the pan, making sure that you keep the greaseproof lid on – that way you can store the Christmas pudding for up to two months.

On Christmas Day, steam the pudding again for another two hours, and serve – perhaps with a sprig of holly on top, and a splash of brandy to light.

Here's a fun fact to tell your children: The Royal Mint can produce 90 million coins and blanks a week, almost five billion coins a year - I can't quite get my head around those numbers! If you'd like more information about The Royal Mint, do visit their website at royalmint.com, and while you're there, don't forget to sign up to claim your own Royal Mint Sixpence!

I can't wait to start making our very own Christmas pudding a week on Sunday and I hope that you'll join in and make your own too!

Grace

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The Royal Mint Christmas Pudding Recipe

A very special traditional Christmas pudding recipe from the Royal Mint - perfect for cooking with the family on Stir Up Sunday!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Soaking Time12 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British, Christmas

Servings: 8 people

Author: Grace Hall

Ingredients

• 170 g sultanas
• 140 g currants
• 140 g raisins
• 200 ml water
• 30 g plain flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground mace
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 55 g breadcrumbs
• 85 g shredded suet if you cannot get hold of suet, softened butter works just as well
• 40 g chocolate 70%, grated
• 1 cooking apple peeled and grated
• 85 g soft dark brown sugar
• 20 g chopped mixed peel
• 55 g blanched almonds roughly chopped
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 orange zested
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 1 egg beaten
• butter for greasing

Equipment:

• The Royal Mint sixpence
• 1 litre pudding or heat proof bowl
• greaseproof paper
• large elastic band
• string
• stock pot
• steamer basket deep saucer or ramekin
• tin foil

Instructions

• Put the sultanas, currants and raisins in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Leave to soak, uncovered, overnight.
• The next day, sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl.  Add the breadcrumbs, suet/butter, grated chocolate, grated apple, brown sugar, mixed peel, almonds, lemon and orange zest.
• Mix well, using your hands to get rid of any lumps of butter and ensuring the mixture is fully blended together.
• Stir in the soaked fruit, which will have plumped-up over overnight. Next, stir in the treacle, brandy and beaten egg.  Mix well, and stand overnight. Leaving the mixture to rest for a second night is optional, but the marinating helps the spices soak in.
• Before you're ready to cook, stir in the sixpence. It's traditional for everyone to give the pudding a turn with a wooden spoon at this stage and make a wish at the same time (don't forget to stir from East to West!).
• Use the knob of butter to grease the pudding bowl, and tip the Christmas pudding mixture into it.
• Cut a circle of greaseproof paper, a few inches bigger than the rim of the bowl. Use a large elastic band to secure it over the pudding bowl with a folded pleat running through the middle. This will leave room to allow the pudding to release excess steam. Cover the top with a piece of tin foil (same size as the greaseproof paper) and then tie it tightly with the string.
• Make a loop of string across the top to fashion a handle so that the pudding can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.
• If you are using a steaming pot, pour some water into the bottom of the stock pot – about one eighth full – so that the steaming basket sits in the bottom, just above the water level. Bring the water to boil, and place the Christmas pudding in the basket.
• (If you don’t have a steaming basket, simply use the upturned saucer or ramekin so that the pudding basin is kept away from direct contact with the base of the pan. Then fill the stock pot with water to around half-way up the side of the pudding basin.)
• Put on the lid, and steam at a gentle simmer for four hours. Keep an eye on the water to make sure that the pan doesn't boil dry, and add more water from the kettle to keep it topped-up if needed.  If the lid of the stock pot doesn't fit on tightly, it's not ideal, but not disastrous, as long as there is plenty of steam circulating. Keep an even more careful eye on water levels though, as a loosely-covered pot is more likely to boil dry.
• After four hours, lift the pudding out of the pan, making sure that you keep the greaseproof lid on – that way you can store the Christmas pudding for up to two months.
• On Christmas Day, steam the pudding again for another two hours, and serve – perhaps with a sprig of holly on top, and a splash of brandy to light.

Video