It’s no secret that our Majesty likes a tipple (even if royal doctors have reportedly counselled her to cut back on the booze of late).
So it’s no surprise then that when royal chefs shared their annual Christmas pudding recipe this week on the Royal Family Twitter page in honour of Stir-up Sunday, it contained rum, brandy and beer.
Stir-up Sunday is typically the last Sunday before the season of Advent when many festive season traditionalists get to work on making their Christmas pudding.
This year’s royal recipe comprises 13 ingredients to symbolise Christ and the 12 apostles, but it has swapped out the more traditional port in favour of beer.
The Royal Family’s official website has revealed previously that our Monarch presents a Christmas pudding to every member of her staff, often from Harrods or Fortnum & Mason, in a tradition started by her grandfather, George V.
Ingredients:
• 250g raisins
• 250g currants
• 185g sultanas
• 150g mixed peel
• 250g suet or vegetarian suet
• 250g breadcrumbs
• 90g flour
• 12g mixed spice
• 2 whole eggs
• 180g demerara sugar
• 275ml beer
• 40ml dark rum
• 40ml brandy
This recipe makes 2 one-kilo puddings
Method:
1. Combine all dry ingredients
2. Stir them together
3. Add the eggs and liquid
4. Stir everything up
5. Grease your pudding basins
6. Press the cake mix into the basins
7. Cover with a circle of parchment paper
8. Cover basins with muslin or foil, and place puddings into a deep saucepan
9. Fill up with water up to three quarters of pudding basin height
10. Cover with foil
11. Steam for six hours refilling water if necessary
12. Once cooled, wrap puddings well and keep in cool, dry and dark place until Christmas
On Christmas Day, reheat your pudding for 3-4 hours. Remove from the basin using a rounded knife or palette knife, flip out onto a plate, and serve with brandy sauce and cream or custard.