ROYAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

ROYAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

It takes two months early to make a royal Christmas pudding. 

Anyone wishing to whip up a royal Christmas pudding at home needs to start early as in two months early.  Traditionally around October, the Queen's chefs clean out the kitchen sinks at the palace, which is the only place big enough to mix enough ingredients to serve 30 guests.

The heavily liquored puddings are then ready to eat by December.  And because they're so well preserved, the leftovers are sent to Balmoral and Sandringham for hunting trips because it is good for a full year.  According to the former royal chef Darren McGrady of Eating Royally Catering, for shooting lunches, the chefs cut 3-in. fingers of pudding and fry it in unsalted butter.  Frying the pudding makes it crisp up and go gooey inside.  During hunting trips, each shooters get two fingers of pudding each to take with them on chilly winter days.

ROYAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

The full recipe is in the McGrady's book 'Eating Royally'.  It calls for a rich mixture of fruit and alcohol and among the ingredients needed for three 2-lb. bowls.

5  cups raisins

3  cups currants

2  cups candied peel

2  cups dark beer

1/2  cup dark rum

1/2  cup brandy

2 & 1/2  cups beef suet

6  cups fresh white breadcrumbs

1 & 1/4  cups flour

3 & 1/2  Tbsp. mixed spice

3 eggs

2  cups demerara sugar

1/4  cup brandy

1/4  cup unsalted butter

HAPPY BAKING!

#Christmaspudding

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#balmoral

#sandringham