Slow cooker Christmas pudding?

Thank you Calendargirl We're off to do a major shop on Friday so I'm just finding all the currants, sultanas, etc we've got left over from making the Christmas cakes. Normally I make a huge spicy bread pudding with all the left overs but we haven't been eating any bread lately so that went out of the window ?

I also - usually - make everything although this year I probably shan't due to knee replacement last week (although DH has professed himself ready to have a go under my instructions...) I normally use Delia's recipes for mincemeat and the pudding, subbing gf ingredients where appropriate as I'm coeliac. I have even rendered my own suet, so much better that the gf veggie suet which I would normally have to use, except that last year I discovered that grated frozen Trex made a very acceptable substitute. I usually chuck in more nuts (pecans and almonds, slivered) than Delia puts in her ingredients lists.

For the cake I use an American recipe - also with added nuts - which honestly makes the best fruit cake ever. I never make it before 1 December though as gf stuff doesn't keep as well as non gf.

I use an old, traditional, Good Housekeeping recipe. It’s not nearly as dark, dense and heavy as the shop bought puds I’ve ever tried - people who say they don’t like Christmas pudding do very often like it. Not that I ever press anyone to have it if they’re not keen - dh is well able to scoff all leftovers!

The fruit goes in plain, not soaked in anything. The only booze in it is brown ale - what with that, plus the spices and orange and lemon rind, it smells deliciously Christmassy when mixing up.
I always use ceramic pudding basins.

Apologies for the stains on that recipe, it’s a well used cookery book and I’m a dreadfully untidy cook!

This is Nigellas recipe, soak the fruit overnight or for upto a week. Then basically mix everything together in any order and pop into the greased pudding basin. Make sure you grease the lid if using a plastic one. The brand of sherry advised is delicious, dark and raisiny. Sainsburys normally stock it but they seem to have a shortage this year so I used a bottle of Madeira. Fingers crossed it works just as well as sherry. I have never been exact on the quantity of sherry, just slosh enough in to cover the fruit.

I fill mine fairly full, but not rammed to the top Amberone, if that makes sense!

Ladies you have inspired me. I am going to make one at the weekend in the slow cooker. Thank you witzend.

I love to make the pudding. I’ve got a special ceramic pudding basin from John Lewis that I got years ago. Delias recipe fits it perfectly. Covered with grease proof paper and then foil before steaming in the slo cooker. Once cooked fresh paper and foil before putting away for the big day ?

Monica sorry, just reread my post. I thought I had said I wanted to slow cook them but I didn't.

I've got small plastic bowls with lids (just big enough for two people) so in a slow cooker I guess I could cook two of those in about five hours? Low or high ? (no medium). I tend do everything on low for about eight hours, except suet puds which I do on high. I'm more worried about not cooking enough than over cooking in a slow cooker.

Chestnut I don’t think making a Christmas pudding is really cooking. You just stir a load of stuff together and steam it. No skill required! . Actually, I shall amend that. You do need some skill to include all the ingredients. A couple of years ago I thought the amount I was making looked a bit meagre. I’d forgotten to include the dried fruit! ??

On containers, I use a Pyrex bowl (having smashed my China one) or if I am giving them to people, the foil pudding basins. The come in various sizes.

Amberone time depends on how you intend to cook it; boil on stove, put in slow cooker or microwave it.

Thank you Calendargirl - do you fill the bowls right up to the top? Or do I need to leave a gap? Mot really sure if a Christmas pud is likely to grow during cooking !

I'll dig out a recipe and give it a go. Whatever happens it can't taste that bad if I like all the stuff that goes into it ?

I use the plastic tubs with lids, I put some greased grease proof paper on top of pud but under lid to cook and keep. I just do mine overnight on low.

This is for Amberone.

I've never made Christmas Pudding and I would like to. So all you clever ladies - do you cook yours in plastic bowls or ceramic? I bought some small plastic bowls with lids years ago and then didn't really know what to do with them. Do I cook the pud with the lid on, or are the lids for keeping them? Do I need to cover the puds under the lids? How long should I slow cook small puddings for ? Are these all really stupid questions ?? ?

I really don't know why Christmas puds flummox me when I cook and bake most things ??

I do delias Christmas pudding recipe, put it in the slo cooker overnight as some have said with water up to half way up the baron. Also on Christmas Day you can put it in the slo cooker for around 4 hours and it’s lovely. If it gets forgotten about it doesn’t spoil it. ?

It's lovely that some ladies clearly enjoy making Christmas puddings. I'm not one who enjoys cooking really, and would never go to all that trouble for a 5 minute dessert! Plus no-one in the family likes Christmas pudding. Chocolate pudding is the favoured flavour, although I much prefer crumble and custard.

As soon as I get home I’ll put it up. Sitting in hairdressers with a colour on at the moment.

Do you mind sharing Nigella's recipe? I would like to try for christmas.

I started making my own about 7 years ago when I discovered the recipe in Nigella’s Christmas book. Finally it was a pudding everyone liked probably because it’s not so dense as others I’ve tried. Plus it’s a doddle to make.

I make the lot: cake, pudding and mincemeat.

I cook my Christmas puddings in the microwave. 7 minutes for a good sized pudding, less for smaller ones

I enjoy making the pudding, plus I have control over what goes into it. Not sure what extra ingredients commercial puds might contain.

I made mine the traditional way about a month ago.

I am a bit of a fart and really like the tradition of making stuff, but I have nothing against buying ready makes.

I didn't know people still made their own Christmas puds. Especially when Aldi do a brilliant one, different sizes, and it's acclaimed as beating some of the best on the market.

I’ve had a look n my slow cooker recipe book and it has a recipe for a 2 pint/1 litre Christmas pudding. It says to pre heat the slow cooker on high setting if necessary for 20 mins (I do this with my cooker) then cook on high for 12 hours, pouring sufficient boiling water to come up two thirds of the sides.
To reheat, pre heat the cooker on high for 20 mins and heat for about 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high, pouring boiling water to come up about halfway up the side of the pudding bowl. To be honest, it won’t hurt if it’s on a little longer than this, the pudding won’t burn.
I also find that there is still quite a lot of water left in the cooker - it doesn’t evaporate in the same way as it does when steaming on a stove top. It’s also a lot less steamy in the kitchen!

Aarrgghh, not foul, foil!