This coming Sunday in the UK is what is commonly known as Stir-Up Sunday. Stir-up Sunday is a term which has been used in the Anglican Church in the UK for the last Sunday before the season of Advent.
It gets its name from the beginning of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer, which begins with the words, "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people".
Traditionally this has been the day each year that people make their Christmas Puddings! Its time to pop on some Christmas Music and your apron and begin your Christmas prep for this year's festivities.
Christmas is going to be a bit different for most people this year, but there is no reason why we can't still enjoy some of our traditional treats. When it comes to Christmas Puddings, Mary Berry's Christmas Pudding is a recipe which I have made many, many times. Like all of her recipes it is reliable and fool-proof!
Christmas (or Plum) Pudding is the traditional end to the British Christmas dinner. But what we think of as Christmas Pudding, is not what it was originally like!

Stir-up-Sunday is usually a family affair. Each family member is supposed to stir the mixture from East to West to honour the journey of the Magi. This ritual is also thought to bring the family luck and prosperity in the coming year.
At one time it was also customary to hide a number of small trinkets in
the mixture, a bit like the twelfth night cake. These charms often
included a silver coin (wealth), and a ring (future marriage). Woe
betide the guest who stumbled across a thimble in their serving. A
future of Spinsterhood was a cert for them! Nowadays this generally
isn't done, although my husband does remember his mom putting coins into
theirs.
The fruit mixture of the pudding is usually a mix of dried figs, currants, raisins, golden raisins, cherries and candied ginger. All are mixed together in a bowl the night before you go to make your pudding and a portion of brandy is poured over top and the fruit left to macerate in this overnight on the counter top. A clean towel over top to keep it safe from dust and insects. If you don't like to use alcohol, you can use orange juice in an equivalent amount.
Mary Berry's recipe differs slightly in that there is no figs or ginger, and you have no need to soak the fruit overnight, which is a bonus!
I am all for time saving if I can, and if Mary Berry only soaks her fruit for an hour, that's good enough for me! Softened butter is creamed together with soft light brown sugar, orange zest, and ground mixed spice.
(You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.)
Eggs also gets beaten into this, a bit at a time so it doesn't curdle. Don't worry if it does, you can always stir in a bit of the flour to fix this.
Fresh soft bread crumbs are also a part of the mix, along with chopped blanched almonds and self rising flour. You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour needed. I always make my own, especially now during the time of Covid when I can't always access what I need.
Mary Berry's Christmas Pudding

Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) dried mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, glace cherries and chopped dried apricots)
- 1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- the grated rind of one medium orange
- the juice of one medium orange
- 3 TBS brandy (plus extra to flame)
- 5 1/2 TBS butter, sofened, plus more to butter the pudding mold
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 3/4 cup (100g) self-rising flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2/3 cup (40g) soft white bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup (40g) whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
- scant 1/2 cup (100g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cup (8 ounces) sifted icing sugar
- 3 TBS brandy
- 4 TBS brandy
Instructions
- Measure all of the fruit into a bowl. Add the brandy and orange juice. Leave to macerate for about an hour.
- Cream the butter together with the orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, until thoroughly combined. If the mixture starts to curdle stir in a spoonful of the flour.
- Sift together the flour and mixed spice. Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the bread crumbs and nuts. Stir in the soaked fruit along with any juices. Mix well together.
- Generously butter a 2 1/2 pint (5 cup) pudding basin. Cut a piece of baking paper into a circle large enough to cover the bottom of the basin.
- Spoon the pudding batter into the basin, smoothing over the top with the back of a spoon.
- Have ready a large piece of baking paper and a sheet of foil. Place the paper on top of the foil, making a pleat across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie securely over top of the pudding with some kitchen string. Trim off any excess.
- To Steam: put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for eight hours, topping up the water as necessary.
- To Boil: put a metal jam jar lid, or metal pan lid, into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet. Place a long, doubled strip of foil in the pan, between the trivet and the pudding basin, ensuring the ends of the strip reach up and hang over the edges of the pan. This will help you to lift the heavy pudding basin out of the pan of hot water when it has finished cooking. Lower the pudding onto the trivet and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the bowl. Cover with a lid, bring the water back to the boil, then simmer for about seven hours, until the pudding is a glorious deep brown colour, topping up the water as necessary.
- Once cooked, remove the pudding from the pan. Remove and discard the paper and foil. Replace with fresh. Store, covered, in a dry cool place.
- On Christmas Day make the brandy butter by beaing the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sifted icing sugar until smooth. Stir in the brandy and spoon into a serving dish. Cover and chill until needed.
- Steam or boil the pudding for about two hours to reheat. Turn onto a decorative, heat proof serving plate. To flame, warm the brandy or rum in a small saucepan. Pour it over the hot pudding and very carefuly set light to it with a match.
- Serve the pudding hot, spooned into bowls with a dab of brandy butter on top. Pouring cream goes very nicely with this.
notes:
To make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
To make your own self-rising flour: You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour needed.
Did you make this recipe?
You really cannot fault any of Mary Berry's recipes. If you follow them scrupulously, they always turn out and are fail proof! I have never had a failure with any of them!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped nuts
- 1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (3 bananas) mashed bananas (very ripe)
Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped nuts
- 1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (3 bananas) mashed bananas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf tin and line with baking paper with an overhang on two sides for ease of lifting out the baked loaf.
- Whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the nuts.
- Whisk together the mashed banana, milk, oil, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and mix both together just to combine. Batter will be lumpy.
- Turn into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and run a knife down the middle.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Did you make this recipe?
I had asked Todd to pick up some croissants for me when he went into town yesterday, thinking that wasn't something he could mess up. WRONG!
Whisk together the remaining ingredients, making sure they are well combined. Pour this over the croissant pieces and toss to coat. Pour into the prepared baking dish, making sure that the chocolate is evenly spaced amongst the croissant bits.
My Todd is a simple man . . . with traditional tastes and values. He grew up during the War and knows well the deprivations that went along with that era, both during and after the war . . .
It does not take much to please him, and he appreciates most anything you set down in front of him . . .
Just so long as it's not pasta . . . or chocolate.
He even liked school dinners when he was growing up. Not a lot of people did. School dinners have traditionally gotten a bad rap, but not for Todd. He loved them. I suspect I would have probably have loved them too. In any case they would have been better than a cold sandwich and a bruised apple served up in a paper bag, which is what I had!
Anyways, I digress . . . Todd . . . simple man . . . traditional values.
Like bread and butter pudding, which normally has lovely sultanas studded all the way through it. They always kind of burn on the top and get all chewy and scrummy, however . . .
I am not always a traditionalist. I sometimes like to shake the tree a little bit.
Just a little bit mind . . . not so hard that all the coconuts fall out . . . just enough to give things a little bit of a twist . . .
Like your traditional bread and butter pudding. I got to thinking the other day how delicious it would be with a layer of strawberry jam added in the middle . . . kind of like souffled jam sandwiches . . .
all soft and unctuous, with a tasty layer of sweet jam in the middle . . . the custard gently flavoured with lemon zest, cardamom and cinnamon . . . oh and with a traditional dusting of nutmeg on top . . .
This was some good. Warm and comforting and delicious. School room flavours . . . with a grown up touch.
Kind of like a Queen of Puddings . . . without the meringue . . . but somehow better. With just enough spice and lemon to really bring out the lovely strawberry flavour.
It went down a real treat!
*Strawberry Bread and Butter Pudding*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A delicious bread and butter pudding with the added twist of a layer of tasty Strawberry Jam.
1 ounce softened butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
8 thin slices of sturdy white bread
good quality strawberry jam
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
the grated zest of one lemon
12 ounces whole milk
2 ounced double cream
2 large free range eggs
1 ounce caster sugar
grated nutmeg to taste
demerara sugar for sprinkling
Butter a 2 pint pie dish with butter. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.
Trim the crusts off of the bread and butter each slice on one side. Spread half of the slices thickly with some strawberry jam, on the unbuttered side. Put together with the other half of the slices like little jam sandwiches, with the buttered sides showing on the outside of each. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and then place into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom.
Place the milk in a pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest. Scald. (Heat just until you see bubbles appearing around the edges. Do not let it boil.) Whisk in the cream.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and beat together well. Whisk in the heated milk slowly. Strain the resulting custard into a beaker, then pour this custard over the bread mixture. Let stand for about 30 minutes so that it is absorbed somewhat. Sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg and a dusting of demerara sugar.
Place into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is a golden brown. Serve warm.
Applesauce Nut Bread
ingredients:
instructions:
tin, or two smaller ones and then line with baking paper. Set aside.
together the applesauce, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Sift together
the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Stir in the pecans. Add all at once to the wet ingredients. Mix well
together. Spread 1/3 of it into the prepared loaf tin (s) sprinkle with
1/3 of the topping. Spread another 1/3 of the batter on top. Top with
another 1/3 of the topping. Spread on the final 1/3 of batter. Using a
round bladed knife swirl the topping through and then sprinkle the
remaining topping on top of the loaf.
30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to help prevent over-browning. Bake
for 15 to 30 minutes longer (depending on pan(s) used). When the bread
is done a toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean. Cool
in the pan for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool
completely.



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