One of the biggest time savers - and water savers too - is making steamed puddings in the pressure cooker. You can use any recipe you like for Christmas Pudding, they all steam in the same way - just use the timing guide below.
This recipe is enough to fill 2 x 750ml basins, 1 x large 1.5l basins or 8-10 mini basins, but it will halve easily. You need at least a 6l pressure cooker for the largest size.
75gcandied peelfinely chopped (I buy or make large pieces and finely chop, the flavour is much better)
175mlrum or brandy
125gself-raising flour
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonallspice
¼teaspoonground cloves
¼teaspoonground cardamom
¼teaspoonground mace
150gfresh breadcrumbs
175gshredded suet
175gdark muscovado sugar
4eggs
150ggrated quince or apple or a mixture of bothdon’t worry if you have more of one than the other (you can easily go over this quantity of grated fruit)
zest of 1 orange
Instructions
Soak the dried fruit
First, either soak your dried fruit in the rum over night or quick soak in the pressure cooker, using just 150ml of the rum and adding the remaining 25ml when you remove the lid.
Mix the ingredients
Mix all the remaining ingredients together with a generous pinch of salt, then add the fruit. Get every member of the family to stir and make a wish, then pile into pudding basins, making sure you have pushed the mixture down well to reduce the risk of air pockets.
Use a sling or long-handled trivet / steam rack
Use a sturdy trivet with handles or fold a pleat into foil or baking parchment and secure around the top of the basin - you can tie with string, making a handle at the same time, or just fix into place with an elastic band. If not making a handle with string, take a long length of foil and fold twice, lengthways, so it is 4 ply. You will end up with a very sturdy length of foil which you can use to lower your pudding into the pressure cooker.
If using the foil, place the pudding in the centre of it and lift it into the pressure cooker, placing either on a trivet or onto a folded up piece of cloth - it is not necessary for the basin to be suspended above the water.
Pressure cook
Add around 3 cm water to the base of the cooker. The exact amount of water will depend on the diameter of your pressure cooker.
Bring up to high pressure (in electric pressure cookers press Pressure Cook or Manual and programme the time).
Mini puddings: 40 minutesMedium pudding: between 1.5-2 hours, depending how dark you like itLarge pudding: 3 hours
Allow to drop pressure naturally, cool completely and leave somewhere cool and dark until you are ready to eat it. Read the how to store instructions in this post.
How to reheat
To reheat on Christmas Day:Small puddings: 10 minutes at high pressureMedium and large puddings: 30 minutes at high pressure