How to Light a Christmas Pudding on Fire (Because Why Not?)

To an American palate, Christmas pudding may taste like a yummy, gooey, extra-rich fruitcake (in a good way) that's slathered with hard sauce (which ensures that you will like it even if you don’t care for fruitcake) and eaten with a spoon.

This is one family’s version of a traditional English Christmas pudding, famously carried to the table in flames with a sprig of holly on top. It's studded with dried fruit—three kinds of raisins, plus prunes—along with chopped fresh apples and almonds, bread crumbs, grated suet (raw beef fat), stout, and brandy. A little flour and a couple of eggs hold it all together.

The recipe was written out by hand, with illustrations and copious side notes and explanations, by my great friend, London artist and jewelry designer Frances Bendixson.

I tasted the pudding in Paris at her table in 1972 (when we were both living there), and I begged for the recipe after starting my dessert shop, Cocolat, not long after. Customers were wild for it.

The instructions call for mixing the dry ingredients with the suet and letting them stand overnight before adding the wet stuff. I have always done this dutifully, but I have it on good authority that you can skip the overnight step and proceed full steam ahead.

And I should probably mention that suet is the traditional fat, but some recipes call for grated butter instead, and I see no reason why you shouldn’t make that substitution if suet is not acceptable or available.

Tips for Making It at Home

The recipe calls for steaming the pudding for 4 to 5 hours before storing, then steaming it again for another 4 to 5 hours before serving. Frances says you can do it all in one go if you steam it for a very long time, 9 to 10 hours. Other sources say that you can steam for 8 hours the first time and only 1 hour just before serving. I interpret all of this to mean that you can do whatever suits your schedule, so long as the pudding is steamed for a total of 8 to 10 hours.

Meanwhile, common wisdom and my experience say that making puddings ahead, even a few days or a week, is a good idea because puddings always improve with age. I also understand that some subscribe to the “rule” that says puddings must be made at least one month ahead.

But I’ve broken that rule…and you certainly can, too. Ultimately, you may start your pudding from one day to one year ahead.

How to (Safely) Light Your Christmas Pudding on Fire

1. Okay, so your Christmas pudding is all set to serve—now it's time for the big reveal. Start by unmolding the pudding onto a warmed serving platter (see below for more details).
2. Don't forget to peel and discard the paper liner before moving on to the next step.
3. Kill the lights to create a bit of drama, and make sure you can really see those flames.
4. Warm 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy in a small saucepan (if it has a long handle, that's helpful). Make sure the brandy is nice and hot before flaming it.
5. Then, carefully set the brandy on fire with a lit match and pour it over the pudding before entering the dining room. Proudly (and again, carefully!) set your masterpiece on the table and watch in awe as the flames fizzle out before serving.

What to Serve Your Christmas Pudding in

The traditional pudding basin is a sturdy and good-looking ceramic bowl with a thick rim that allows you to tie on a cloth cover—or a foil one. Search for pudding basins and you will find them. They make useful mixing bowls in general and they are also perfect for Summer Pudding. You will need size #24 for this pudding, which serves 8 to 10, but you might as well buy a smaller size #30, as well—you will love having both your kitchen.

Otherwise, improvise with a 2-quart Pyrex or other heatproof bowl for this pudding. A stainless-steel bowl will do in a pinch, but it lacks the authentic aesthetic and tends to float in the steamer unless you lower the water level, and that means you must replenish the water more frequently.

About Those Leftovers...

An old British nursery rhyme describes the Queen making a pudding such as this for King Arthur. It finishes with “and what they did not eat that night, the Queen next morning fried!” I’ve microwaved leftovers with very good results but have not tried frying them.

I do love imagining a disheveled queen standing barefoot at the stove, crown atilt, flipping leftover slices of pudding on the griddle.

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Have you ever set a holiday dessert ablaze? Let us know how it went in the comments below!