Stir it Up Sunday

Stir Up Sunday

Stir it up Sunday is traditionally when the family gets together to make their Christmas pudding and this year it’s on Sunday 20th November. It comes from the Victorians who on the last Sunday before advent would gather together and stir their Christmas pudding.

Traditions of stir up Sunday.

There are some traditions associated with stir it up:

* The Christmas pudding should use 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples.

* Every member of the family is to stir the mix and make a wish.

* A silver sixpence used to be added to the mix and whoever found it in the portion on Christmas Day would have good luck and wealth in the following year. Do be careful, if you’re adding anything to yours…no-one wants a cracked tooth for Christmas!

Recipe for stir up Sunday.

Ingredients:

200g currants
200g raisins
200g sultanas
150ml sweet sherry
175g butter
175g brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
150g self-raising flour (I use Gluten Free)
100g breadcrumbs (I use gluten free)
50g blanched almonds, chopped
Juice of 1 orange
Grated rind of ½ orange
Grated rind of ½ lemon
½ tsp ground mixed spice

Soak the currents, raisins and sultanas in the sherry and leave for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight)

Mix butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in eggs and then fold in the flour.

Stir in the soaked fruit, breadcrumbs, almonds, orange juice, orange rind, lemon rind and mixed spice.

Grease a pudding basin and press the mixture into it leaving a gap of 2.5cm at the top.

Cut a circle of greaseproof paper 3cm larger than the top of the pudding basin, grease with butter and place over the top of the pudding basin, securing with string (or an elastic band).

Cover the top with two layers of foil (this will help keep the string in place).

Place the pudding basin in a pan and fill with boiling water which reaches two-thirds up the basin.

Reduce heat and simmer for 6 hours topping up the water when needed.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Replace the greaseproof paper and two layers of foil and refrigerate for 2-8 weeks.

To enjoy, steam for 2 hours as before then decorate with holly and serve warm with some brandy custard or ice cream.

Have some fun.

If you’ve never made a Christmas pudding before then Stir it up Sunday is the perfect time to give it a go and really get into the Christmas spirit. So why not grab your other half, children, grandchildren, or friends, throw on an apron, open a bottle of wine or put the kettle on and have some fun. You never know it might become a new family tradition!

I use gluten free flour because I'm a celiac and you might need to add an extra egg to help bind it.

Do let me know how you get on and it would be lovely if you shared your creations with me just tag me at #countrymouseuk1 or send me an image.