Stir Up Sunday:
Quick and Easy Microwave Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
Recipe
Stir Up Sunday
Today is Stir Up Sunday, which means that Christmas is only a whisker away now, well exactly 4 weeks to be exact. I have shared many traditions and customs for this special day it the culinary calendar, which you can read here Stir Up Sunday, Traditions and my Traditional Victorian Christmas Pudding Recipe along with a traditional Dickensian Plum Pudding, so today I would like to offer all my readers a new pudding recipe for something that is quick and easy to make and is also a VERY light and fruity pudding recipe which may appeal to “Christmas Pudding Haters”!
Quick and Easy Microwave Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
I always make a steamed pudding every year, but I have an event on Tuesday which calls for a Christmas Pudding, and as I still have a lovely pud from last year, maturing nicely, I decided to make this fail-safe microwave pudding with mincemeat. I used my own home-made mincemeat in this recipe, a fruity and boozy concoction here: Traditional Boozy Mincemeat with Apples, but any high quality mincemeat will be perfect for this recipe, although I do prefer a non-fat mincemeat.
Christmas Pudding Ingredients
You may also notice that I am using my lovely new Penzance pudding bowl from Churchill, whom I work with……you can see my last Churchill post for Soul Cakes here: Saturday Bakes & Cakes: All Soul’s Day and a Traditional Soul-Cakes Recipe. I also have a fabulous giveaway for FOUR Churchill China Penzance Baking Packs (RRP: £78:00) if you fancy trying to win one of them. But back to my pudding; it may not be a traditional way of making a classic pudding, but it really does result in a wonderfully moist pudding with a light, fruity texture and a big citrus kick.
Churchill Pudding Bowl
So, if you are short of time and yet still want to serve a traditional style pudding this year, this is the recipe for you. It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 weeks, but you can keep it longer if you pierce the pud with a skewer and drizzle some extra booze over it; such as brandy, rum or sherry. You can also freeze this pudding and it is easily reheated in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes before serving with a ladle of brandy to flame it at the table and with brandy butter, cream or custard as accompaniments.
Ready to cook
This pudding is light enough to serve as a dessert for a special family meal, such as Sunday Lunch or a winter gathering, and you can omit the booze and black treacle if you want to lighten it up even more. The recipe is shared below and don’t forget to observe some of the Stir Up Sunday traditions when you make it…..
Stirring the Christmas Pudding
It is traditional for all the family to participate in stirring the pudding on Stir-up Sunday, whilst making a wish at the same time, and ONLY clockwise, stirring anticlockwise is believed to invoke the work of the devil! It is also believed that every member of the family should take a turn to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from East to West, in honour of the three kings who travelled from the East.
Turning out the pudding
That’s all for today, I will be back tomorrow with a meal plan for Monday and a new recipe.…..have a wonderful Sunday and see you soon. Karen
Xmas Pudding Ingredients
Quick and Easy Microwave Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
Print recipe
| Serves | 1 x 2 pint (i litre) pudding |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 40 minutes |
| Allergy | Egg, Wheat |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Dessert, Snack |
| Misc | Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 300g/10ozs high quality mincemeat (home-made is best)
- 140g/5 oz currants
- 225g/8 oz soft light brown sugar
- 115g/4 oz self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 115g/4 oz fresh white bread crumbs
- 1 to 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon black treacle
- 4 tablespoons whisky, rum or brandy
- 100mls stout or dark beer
- 115g/4 oz frozen butter, grated or chopped to fine pieces
- half a Bramley apple, cut into small pieces, no need to peel
- Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
Note
This is such an easy to make pudding, and one that I discovered about 30 years ago on a Stork margarine recipe leaflet! However, I always use butter, and although this does not need to be made weeks before Christmas, the taste and flavour is still rich with a lovely fruitiness. You can make this on Stir-up Sunday if you wish, just keep the pudding in the fridge until Christmas day, and then re-heat it in the microwave again. Makes one 2-pint pudding.
Directions
| Step 1 | Grease with butter and the line a 2 pint pudding basin with greaseproof paper. |
| Step 2 | Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. |
| Step 3 | Spoon the mixture into the greased bowl and cover it with some cling-film, with holes punctured to allow the steam to escape. |
| Step 4 | Put the pudding bowl on an upturned plate and cook in microwave on medium power for 20 - 25 minutes. (Medium is about 500 watts.) |
| Step 5 | Test it with a skewer - if it is done the skewer will come out clean. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. |
| Step 6 | Carefully turn on to serving plate and decorate with holly. Serve with brandy butter, rum butter or rum Sauce, custard or cream. |
| Step 7 | NB: If making ahead – store covered in the fridge, and re-heat on Christmas Day for 3 to 4 minutes on high power. Allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving as before. |
| Step 8 | Steaming instructions: This pudding can also be steamed; cover the pudding with greaseproof paper and then some foil, and tie a string handle around it. Steam over a pan of boiling water, making sure you top the water up regularly, for 3 hours. |
Quick and Easy Microwave Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
I am entering this into Tea Time Treats for November, as the theme is Dried Fruits
And, as there is a “C” in the title of this pudding, then it also qualifies to be entered into Ros and Caroline’s Alphabakes challenge, as the letter this month is C
I have also entered this recipe into Emily’s Recipe of the Week
Ready to eat – Microwave Mincemeat Pudding
Stirring the Pudding
Stem the currants
Stone the raisins
Chop the peel as fine as fine
Beat the eggs and shred the suet
Grate the crumbs (no flour in mine)
Freely shake, to make it nice,
All the virtue of the spice.
Pour the brandy liberally.
Stir and wish, then, three times three.
(Eleanor Farjeon)
Disclaimer: I received a Churchill china Penzance dinnerware service for free, in order to share and showcase the china with my readers as part of my sponsored collaboration with Churchill China. With thanks to Churchill China for sending me some further items from the Penzance range to use and review. I was not asked to write a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Karen S Burns-Booth
Tracy Nixon says
OOoooh I feel all Christmassy now!
Karen says
IT is only 4 weeks away Tracy! 🙂 Karen
Stacy Deason says
Wow!! Such a great and simple recipe. I can even make this recipe for Thanksgiving. And best part this recipe is microwave friendly!! Thanks for such a great post.
P.S. the photographs are great even I feel so Christmassy 😛 😀
Karen says
Thanks so much Stacy and yes, this pudding would be great for Thanksgiving too! Karen
Gill Bland says
Great idea – I make microwave cake all the time for Mr B and had never though that the texture is perfect for Christmas pudding. As always, your recipe is simple and achievable but delicious and gets brownie points with relatives!
Karen says
Thanks Gill, this texture is just fine, but then I think that adding mincemeat, which is wetter than dried fruit, helps on that score! I have eaten this pudding already, oooops, but as it’s so easy to make, then another one can be made just before the big day!
hearttohome says
So the big question is: do you think that it’s better to make your pudding “weeks before” (as you mentioned in your post) for a really rich (and boozy) flavour? Or is that just snobbery from traditionalists?
Karen says
They are both different puddings, one is much lighter than the other, so each recipe will suit different people and their likes and/or dislikes!
Coombemill says
I like the quick and easy bit. It looks delicious. Popping over from Recipe of the week
Karen says
Thanks so much, I must pop over myself to see what other recipes are over there!
Julie's Family Kitchen says
Delightful recipe and so quick too. I love Christmas pudding with custard, so it’s something I would definitely make.
Karen says
Thanks Julie – it has all the elements of a traditional pud, but is easy to make and is lighter and very fruity!
Andrea Mynard says
What a wonderfully simple pudding and gorgeous photos too. I’m a bit late on my own stir up, would love to think I may have the beautifully organised scene that you have when we make our pud, but think I may be a tad optimistic!
Karen says
LOL! Andrea, I am lucky that I have a pudding left from last year and this pud has been devoured already, in the interests of taste testing of course (!), but, this recipe really is VERY easy to whip up at the last minute, and you can steam it too, if you prefer it cooked that way.
Caroline says
I like the idea of a Christmas pudding that doesn’t take too long to make – though I have to confess I have never made any kind of Christmas pudding before! Thanks for sending this to Alphabakes.
Karen says
Thanks Caroline, this is a perfect recipe for an introduction into Christmas Pudding making for newbies, so do give it a go!
Maya Russell says
Do you put a silver coin in it?
Shared on Twitter, @maisietoo
Karen says
NOT for the microwave Maya, but ALWAYS when I steam a pudding!
Emily @amummytoo says
This looks just beautiful – and so quick! Loving the dinnerware too. Thanks for linking up with #recipeoftheweek. I’ve pinned this post and there’s a fresh linky live now – would be great to see you join in again x
Karen says
Thanks Emily! I will certainly join in again! Karen
Helen Forsythe says
Glad to have found this recipe, shared ~ thank you !!
ursula hunt says
great to have an easy pudding recipe
Carol Smyth says
This is without doubt the best christmas pudding I have ever tasted.. Make my own ever year , boiling or steaming for hours.. I made this as a trial yesterday and I have to say I have never tasted one as delicious .. !! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe..
Karen says
THANKS so much for letting me know Carol – we love this pudding, but it is fantastic to know that there is another convert! Merry Christmas, Karen
Nana says
Hurrah a Christmas pudding that’s light and without alcohol ( I bluster & burn with anything that contains alcohol).
Karen Burns-Booth says
So glad this recipe was a winner for you! Karen