Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe: Try This Most Tasty of Irish Holiday Expressions!

The name of this delicious Irish Christmas Pudding recipe may be a bit misleading - it's really more of a cake than a pudding.  Some people refer to Irish Christmas pudding as plum pudding, which can also be a bit confusing. There are no plums in Irish Christmas pudding!  (Stick with me - it gets easier :-).

This Irish Christmas pudding recipe is one of the quickest and easiest to make - the perfect choice for our impatient Irish family!  We hope you enjoy it as well.

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe: Ingredients

• 1 cup of finely chopped suet or two sticks of butter

• 1 cup dark corn syrup (You can use ¾ C. light corn syrup and ¼ C molasses as a substitute)

• 1 cup water

• One-cup mixed raisins: use some Sultana raisins, dark sundried, golden and etc.

• Zest from one lemon

• Zest from one orange

• ½ grated apple

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 3 cups flour

• 1tsp baking powder

Optional but yummy: When it comes to extra fruit, the more you have the tastier

• 1 cup of mixed candied or dried fruit

• ¼ cup of almonds, walnuts or pecans

• ½ cup brandy

• 2 bottles of Guinness—one for the cook and the other for the recipe!

• Irish whiskey or more brandy

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe:  Preparation

Optional: Pre-soak the fruit for several days in a glass jar with the half cup of brandy.  Then take the following steps:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients and add the fruit, dusting it evenly

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients, mix and add to the flour. Mix well. If it’s too stiff, add a little Guinness!

3. Line a heat-resistant bowl with parchment

4. Fill the the bowl with the pudding mixture and stretch aluminum foil tightly over he top, sealing the bowl.

5. Put the bowl in a Dutch oven on a rack so the bowl doesn’t touch the bottom. Fill with water half way up the bowl and allow it to steam for 2 to 2 ½ hours. The pudding will be done when you insert a toothpick or skewer in the center and it comes out clean. Some people use a slow cooker for this step, it works just as well but increases the cooking time.

6a. Serve warm with the Sauce below drizzled on top, OR

6b. Allow the pudding to cure. You cure it by drizzling it liberally with brandy or Irish whiskey, wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap after each addition and then aluminum foil. Open it occasionally to add more.

We usually serve ours right away, with the sauce below.

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe:  The SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Put all ingredients, except vanilla, into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

2. Drizzle over the pudding and serve warm to your guests.

Want Even More?

At Irish Expressions, our our goal is simple: to provide you with a unique Irish experience, on demand, wherever you are in the world.

If you have enjoyed our section on Irish Food Recipes, you have probably been exposed to many of the most delicious flavors that Ireland has to offer!

Will that entice you to visit Ireland - or to return if you have already been? 

We hope so!  

But even if that is not possible, you can still enjoy the magic of Ireland in these pages.  Check out the links at the top of the page for simple instructions on how to explore Irish landmarks, enjoy Irish food, practice Irish customs, and much more!

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