A Family Recipe for English Christmas Pudding

Each holiday season for as long as I can remember, my mother has made traditional Christmas Suet Pudding for our Christmas Eve dinner. She uses a recipe handed down for many generations by her ancestors–the Michael Hope family from Darlington, County Durham, England. Yes, it does have real suet in it, but when you have it once a year and share the batch with your family, it does no harm.

Several years ago, Mom and Dad started a recipe book for their children that included lots of recipes we consider family favorites. Our Christmas Suet Pudding recipe was included. Like many English puddings, it is more cake-like than what we think of when we say “pudding” and it is a delicious dessert to finish up a Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day) dinner. Enjoy!

The Hope Family Christmas Suet Pudding

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup ground suet

Slightly beat eggs, add sugar slowly, beating as you add.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves and add alternately with sour milk. To make your own sour milk, add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk.

Add raisins and suet and stir in.

Place in pan and steam for 3 hours.

Sauce: serve warm with 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, mixed, and add water to the right consistency for syrup. Boil. Add vanilla and brandy to taste.

The best suet is the kidney suet—ask the butcher for suet for “people eating”, not for the birds, and he may also grind it for you.