Christmas Carrot Pudding (Festive Steamed Recipe) - Around The Nook (2024)

FAQs

How to make a steamer for Christmas pudding? ›

Take a large sheet of aluminium foil and a piece of buttered greaseproof paper about the same size. Make a pleat by folding a crease in the centre of both the paper and the foil. Turn the buttered sheet over so the foil's on top and press it around the bowl with the fold on top.

Ideally we would suggest that when the pudding is made it is steamed for 8 hours (the combined time of the first and second steamings) as the steaming is important for the flavour of the pudding. The pudding can then be microwaved to reheat it on Christmas Day.

If you or someone in your family is a vegetarian and doesn't want to eat suet, look for a recipe that uses butter or margarine instead, such as this recipe for individual Christmas puddings.

After the first 5 hours of steaming the puddings may not look that dark but do not worry as the colour deepens on the second steaming.

A 1.5 (0.9 litre) pudding will take a shorter tine to cook but unfortunately not half the time of the larger 3 pint (1.5 litre) size. We suggest that you steam the pudding for 4 hours initially then 2 hours before serving, giving a total of 6 hours steaming time.

However, I have here a solution. We will steam the pudding overnight or for 10 hours in a pan of simmering water in a very low oven. It is clean, convenient and it looks after itself.

The pudding basin itself should be tightly covered. The pan or steamer attachment should be covered with a lid as this creates the steamy enviroment in which the pudding cooks, as well as trying to limit the evaporation of water from the pan and the condensation that will build up in the kitchen.

Since traditional Christmas pudding is made with a variety of dried fruits and nuts along with eggs and suet (animal fat)- the high content of the liquor helps it taste better and better over time, with no risk of spoiling even two years after they are made!

To test if the pudding's cooked, pierce the foil and paper with a skewer and wiggle it to make the hole bigger, or it will be wiped clean of any mixture when you pull it out.

If you can't find suet then we have found that grated vegetable shortening (such as Trex, Crisco or Copha) is a good substitute. To grate the shortening firstly freeze a stick or block of it until firm but not solid (this usually takes about 30 minutes).

What can I use instead of shredded beef suet in Christmas pudding? ›

Our answer

It is possible to make Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding using vegetable shortening (such as Crisco, Trex, Flora White, Cookeen or Copha) instead of suet (which is made from beef fat).

For the pudding, the most likely cause of mould is moisture.

Nigella suggests using a plastic pudding basin with a clip-on lid as these are easy to use and not too expensive. If you have difficulties finding a pudding basin then a Pyrex bowl, or similar heatproof glass bowl, could be used.

Generally you would place the pudding in a deep roasting tin or a casserole. Then add boiling water so that it is about half way up the side of the basin and then cover the whole thing with a tent of strong foil which needs to be pinched tightly around the edge.

If you've got a pudding bowl and a decent sized saucepan with a lid, you're good to go. But if steaming is your thing, you can invest in a steamer – it has holes in the bottom and fits over the pan with the water steaming in the pan below. There are electric steamers too.

First, take three sheets of aluminum foil and roll them up into baseball-sized balls. Place them on the bottom of the pot, and pour in about an inch of water. Then rest the plate on top of the foil balls, and add whatever food you're trying to steam to the plate. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam away.