Dinner is Served

No British Christmas is complete without a Christmas pudding. Unlike American puddings, a Christmas pudding is a dark, sticky, and dense sponge, more like a fruitcake, made of mixed dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple, and citrus zests. Brandy and spices provide a deep, complex flavor and signature dark color.

Although the number of ingredients may seem daunting, if you prep everything ahead of time, the recipe will come together easily. Christmas pudding is best made well in advance; eating the pudding immediately after cooking will cause it to collapse, and the flavors will not have had time to mature. Traditionally, the dessert is made on ​"Stir-up Sunday," the Sunday before Advent around the end of November, where families gather to stir the mixture, make a wish, and add a few coins to the batter.