Christmas Pudding

After years and years of putting it off, I finally made Christmas Pudding.

I used the recipe from Malcolm Hillier's Christmas, which was published in 1992.

 His recipe isn't as complicated as most, and he uses butter instead of suet. I replaced the candied fruits with dried cranberries and kept the golden raisins. After steaming the pudding for 3 1/2 hours, I removed the pudding and allowed it to cool. As soon as the pudding was cool to the touch, I doused it in brandy, wrapped it, and stored it in a cool dark place.

The pudding can rest this way for months as long as it gets occasional baths in brandy. This particular pudding will be eaten on Christmas Eve with joy and lots of hard sauce while sitting close to a roaring fire.

The Holidays

Celebrate what you will, but my celebrations surround elements of Christmas and Yule. Give me Dickens over myths, and Santa over Saints.

I collect Father Christmas, ornaments shaped like stars and snow flakes, and all kinds of sleigh bells. I crave fruit cake and rum, roasted root vegetables and goat cheese, chocolate, spice, and apples.

Things that are old and brassy appeal to me. I don't enjoy the modern decorations that want to make this festive season into a design contest for the Winter Olympics with stylized trees and snow flakes. Give me old and gaudy over new and plastic in all things.

I like late winter nights looking at the lights reflecting off snow, buildings, and ponds. White string lights should be up all winter, not just between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

My decorations for this season are often left up late into January. I don't understand those who literally rip everything down the morning of the 26th and act like the season never happened. I also don't understand those that drift from mall to mall and sale to to sale. Give me a gift that will last over something cheaply made and bought at 4:00 am.

Call me "trad" or old fashioned; I don't care. I know what I like in my holiday celebrations and respect your celebrations in all their forms.

Enjoy the season.