Christmas pudding for people who don’t like Christmas pudding. It’s lighter than the traditional pud and baked rather than steamed – also, easy to make ahead and freeze.
Christmas desserts are a little superfluous
I can’t be alone in thinking a dessert after Christmas dinner is a little bit de trop. Everyone is stuffed to their gills and half asleep after the main with trimmings (three helpings thereof), and at this point we’re required to find that second stomach specially dedicated for sweets.
And of all the lovely Christmas desserts, the actual pudding is probably the least loved.
My favourite is a mini or full-on Pavlova, or a meringue roulade. Meringue is almost pure sugar, that’s true, but because there’s no fat or flour in it, it feels lighter and more manageable after a lavish dinner.
If you definitely identify as a dessert stomach owner though, consider Buche de Noel aka yule log. That’s for those who believe dessert must have chocolate flavour. And if you fancy a little cheese a little later, have it with a slice of fruitcake.
For the pudding fans
But there are some real pud enthusiasts so for those, and those who host them at Christmas, this might be an interesting option.
This pudding is lighter and almost boozeless, with only a little brandy for the flavour. There’s no need to set it alight unless you really wish to. It tastes like a cross between a carrot and date cake or like a lighter sticky toffee pudding, and it’s baked instead of steamed.
The recipe comes from BBC Good Food and the sauce is Gordon Ramsey’s.
How to make pudding batter?
Another advantage of this recipe is how easy it is to make, especially if you have a mixer or a food processor. But even by hand, though there will be a lot of chopping, it isn’t at all difficult.
Dates and walnuts need to be finely chopped or coarsely blended in a food processor, then mixed with the grated apple and carrot, golden syrup and brandy.
Into that mixture softened butter is added, with sugar and lightly whisked eggs. A standing or a handheld mixer will beat it together in no time at all, but it’s an easy job with a spoon as well. Finally all the dry ingredients go in followed by raisins.
How to bake the pudding
Use a 1 litre (2 pints) pudding basin with a circle of parchment inserted to line the bottom, for ease of extraction. If you don’t have a pudding dish, use an ovenproof saucepan or a Pyrex, ceramic or stoneware bowl.
It will take about an hour and a half to bake, until the skewer test says it’s baked. To stop it browning too much at the top, cover the dish loosely with foil halfway through the time.
How to make the sauce
Caramel sauce for the pudding is the best thing about it in my view, and this recipe is excellent for any other pudding, not just for Christmas. And you can decant it into a jar or a bottle and keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, reheating it in the microwave when needed.
It is made the easy way, by cooking a sugar syrup until clear, then beating double cream and butter into it with a large pinch of flaky salt.
Make ahead
And you can prepare the pudding well ahead of Christmas, bake it and freeze it. Thaw it in the fridge on Christmas Eve and warm it up in the oven (vacated by the turkey of course) or even in the microwave.
The sauce as we said lasts well so that should not be an issue – but if needs be, that can be frozen too.
More traditional Christmas sweets recipes
Traditional Christmas fruitcake, my family recipe going back three generations. Polish Christmas keks, teacake or fruitcake, is lighter and more delicate than its English counterpart, though its name is derived from English Christmas cake.
My Christmas Stollen is packed with fruit, almonds and a delicious strand of homemade marzipan. Stollen, the 700 years old festive German bread is much easier to make than Italian panettone and it's just as lovely on Christmas morning.
Shortcrust pastry mince pies, the recipe for the best pastry you can find. Homemade mincemeat is very easy to make and much nicer than anything you could buy. And thankfully eating them on Christmas Day is not illegal anymore!
More pudding recipes
Malva pudding is a South African baked dessert, traditionally served at Christmas. It’s a soft cake flavoured with apricot jam and drenched in vanilla cream sauce, usually served warm with ice cream or custard.
Sticky toffee pudding topped with nuts and a toffee sauce is the most delicious dessert. Good quality dates and dark brown sugar are the key to a sticky toffee pud.
Sticky cranberry gingerbread cake with molasses and maple syrup, a dessert in between a pudding and a cake. Easy to make, sweet, spicy and tart, it's just perfect for the festive season.