For Irish15 re: Christmas Pudding in a Crockpot ?

can you get grounded gloves? seen whole gloves? do I just crush them?

Hi Irish..

Yes, ground cloves are available.. with the spices in the baking section at supermarkets.. usually in packets or the little bottles..

I haven't tried crunching the whole cloves.. they'd need to be a fairly fine powder though I'd think, as they're quite 'woody' sort-of..

Let us know how you get on.. and keep asking questions if there's anything else we can help with..

I made one last night and it was good, but i used spray oil to grease the bowl and it stuck. I will do another one this time using butter paper, the question I have it do you leave it to clool before turning out ? or do it straight away ? Last night one tastes good

Hi.. I use butter or margarine to grease the inside of the bowl.. and before turning the pudding out, I run a knife around the inside of the bowl, pressing close to the bowl surface, - like you do when running a knife around the inside of a cake tin to turn a cake out.. it helps loosen the pudding from the bowl before turning it out onto a serving plate.. hope this helps..

Once you've turned the pudding out, as it's usually left upside down to serve, place the bowl upside down and back over the pudding on the plate, so it keeps the pudding hot till you're ready for it.. enjoy :-)

Mm Tim I can almost smell that.
Made mine today and now I'll keep topping it up with brandy!
Smells amazing. Usually I insert some really old coins into it, but we can't find the coins anywhere! Not sure yet if I'll have a tiny piece on THE day.

ps.. this would be a good one if you're wanting coins..

Listing #: 340791095

really nice photo, god I hope mine look like that hahah.

Thanks Julie - I've passed on the info to 'he who lost our coins'!

How was your Christmas pudding BD?? Hope it was great..

My recipe, for those who asked above..

Christmas Pudding:
In a large bowl, mix 2 rounded cups flour, 2 tsp mixed spice, 2 tsp cinnamon, (plus 1/2 tsp nutmeg if liked), 1 cup sugar, 1 rounded cup each of currants and sultanas. 1/2 cup raisins.
Mix 2 tsp baking soda into 1 cup cold water.
Mix 1 tsp butter into 1 cup hot water.
Mix the two cups of liquid together and add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Place into a greased bowl and cover, and steam for 3 hours.
Or place a cloth into a bowl, pour the mix in, tie the cloth with string and boil for 3 hours.

This whole recipe can be made the night before, cover and place in your fridge.. then stirred again and steamed or boiled next day..

Oh yes, it was so good that 80% of it got eaten at the first Christmas meal. My son was so disappointed that I had to make another one. And I found the old coins in time to get them into it.
How did it go Irish? How was your one Julie?

Sounds like a very special time BD.. and lovely that you found the coins.. :-)..

A lovely time here too thanks.. we helped with the local Community Dinner, then came home late afternoon to relax- dinner was whatever we felt like getting, if we felt like getting something!

Another Christmas this Sunday with dear Friends - with Christmas Pudding as part of dessert.. and coins slipped into each serving..

Have the best year ever.. :-)

You too Juliewn. Imagine still having Christmas celebrations! That's lovely.

Quote: I have been looking for a crockpot xmas pud and found yours, you said it can be mixed the night before is that a good idea as Im having family for lunch and I know Im going to be run off my feet. Mixing the night before would be grand, do I leave in fridge then just stir and put into basin. What do you grease the bowl with! Why an oven bag! Thankyou Rae irish15 (3564 )4:17 pm, Wed 8 Dec

Hi Rae. Yes. once you've mixed your Pudding the night before, stir it well then leave it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in your fridge.

To lessen the work for the next day, grease your bowl as you would grease a cake-tin - butter or margarine works fine. and place in the fridge. You could place it in an ovenbag then too, if you're going to use one.

Next morning, stir the mix well - don't forget to close your eyes while stirring, and make a wish! :-)

Place the greased bowl into the bottom of an oven bag that's big enough to take the bowl, then pour the mix into the bowl.

Tie the oven bag several inches from the top of the pudding, then lift it carefully into your crockpot. I place something on the bottom of the crockpot - a saucer or small plate works well. so the bottom of the bowl isn't against the bottom of the crockpot bowl and therefore is away from the heat source.

Fill the crockpot with hot water, so it's at least 1/2 way up the sides. tuck the ovenbag top fully inside the crockpot, place the lid on and set it to high or automatic. and forget it for several hours until you're ready to take it out to serve. don't take the lid off - it won't run out of water at all.

I use an ovenbag as it makes getting the filled bowl into and out of the crockpot easier. and gives plenty of room for the pudding to rise. Tuck the top of the bag inside the crockpot lid, so it doesn't stop the lid sealing.

You could place a piece of baking paper, with a fold in the middle that goes across the centre of the bowl, then tie that around the top edge of the bowl with string. However this means that you need to hold the lip of the bowl to get it in and out of the crockpot. which can result in the mix tipping out slightly as you lower the bowl in, and the risk of burning your hand as you lift it out at the end. A ovenbag is easier I find.

Some people use foil, with a fold in the middle, however I've found that rips easily.

I've doubled and tripled the recipe at times. with both, I've placed the pudding mix directly into a large ovenbag - without a bowl, and tied the top of the bag, leaving room for the pudding to rise. place it into the crockpot - with a saucer underneath, and add 2 hours to the cooking time. The pudding comes out with 'ears' from the corners of the bag making a kind of pointed shape. still tastes great. probably good to use as a base for a Kid's birthday cake!

Alternatively, to make things even easier for you. you could make the pudding in advance, and cook it in your crockpot. you could do this anytime from now on. Leave it in the ovenbag until the pudding is cold , then freeze the pudding, still in the ovenbag, till the day before needed. Then, take it out of the freezer and place on a plate in your fridge.

On Christmas morning, place it into your crockpot, with a plate underneath, pour hot water carefully over it, place the top of the bag inside the crockpot bowl, set to high/automatic and leave it for a few hours to reheat. it'll taste fabulous.

Please ask if you have other questions.

Enjoy your pudding. and have a lovely Christmas.

Julie ☺

You could use a peice of string to put a tie around the corners of the bag so that you don't get 'ears', more of a bowl shape.

Do you put the lid on the bowl! I have brought myself a med plum pudding bowl for this occassion. Do I cook the whole thing on high or when bubbling turn of low! cheers Rae

The Holst's have a good one in their first crockpot book and I've used it for 3 years.

yes thankyou for that. it may seem a silly question but can you buy brandy at supermarket!if I was to cook this receipe would it still be ok do it in a plum pudding bowl with lid!. Seems a long time cooking compared to others that I have seen.

No you can't buy brandy at the supermarket. You can use orange instead though, or maybe a sweet-ish wine. Have to go to a bottle shop. It should be okay with the lid as long as it fits tightly. Does it all fit into your crockpot! I cook on high for probably around 10 hours like she says. It is a dense mix so that's why it takes so long.

So no need to put water up around bowl just follow her instructions for water to the t!
ok so 10 hours up - take it out and leave to cool then take out of crockpot do you leave pud in tin until ready to reheat in couple of days! or take it out of tin!
do you put fruit into bag with brandy and microwave as instructed! is there a simpler way or a bag is best!

Yes, I leave the foil on top and the pudding in the bowl and pop it all in the frig until ready to reheat. You can lift the foil off and have a look though! I take it off and poke holes in the pudding and pour more brandy in.
Yes I put fruit in an ovenbag and into the m'wave - this is an easy, unmessy and quick way to plump the fruit up. It will get really hot though so be careful not to burn yourself when you take it out of the m'wave.
You do need to put water in the crockpot - about 2-1/2 cups - and then drop the pudding bowl in.

great. Never guess I have found approx 1/2 cup of brandy in a cupboard and its prob been there for many years is it safe to use it. So fruit in ovenbag with 1/4 cup brandy! Do you buy a certain fruit mix or self help mixture up to 500grms. Do you sit anything on the bottom of crockpot eg upside down plate for bowl to sit on

hopefully one last question. orange did you use that juice as well because of the peel or not!

I select my own fruits - this year it's prunes, currants, dried figs, cranberries, dried apricots and sultanas. But a premix bag of fruit will be fine. And the brandy should be okay - have a sniff. When are you going to make it!

20th Dec is d day i think.what about orange as above question and plate in bottom of crockpot question. So 600grms of fruit to the t! and a mixture of the above. Prunes! are these the ones you buy in those cellophane bags they seem to soft are these not dried, can you get dried prunes!

Yep - those prunes - they give the pudding a darker colour.
Yes, use a plate in the bottom of the crockie. Just follow the recipe carefully. Measure everything out first and just follow instructions.
Truly, it's not scary! Good luck. Can't remember about the juice. I might have left the peel out because my daughter doesn't like peel.