Ultimate Christmas Pudding Timings and Feeding

Our answer

Nigella's recipe for Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from Christmas and on the Nigella website) is for a 3 pint (1.7 litres/7-cup) basin but in her book Nigella mentions that the pudding can be made into a 2 pint (1.2 litres/5-cup) and a 1 pint (600ml/2 1/2-cup) version. Or you could make three 1 pint puddings.

Nigella suggests that the initial steaming time for the smaller puddings should be 3 hours and then the second steaming should also be 3 hours. If you want to feed the puddings then once they have fully cooled after the first steaming, remove the wrapping and make some holes in the puddings with a skewer. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of Pedro Ximenez sherry (or another liqueur if you prefer) over each pudding before replacing the basin lids tightly and re-wrapping with fresh foil. Store the puddings in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day. You could feed the puddings at 2-week intervals if you like, though we have found with this pudding that feeding and long maturing is not particularly necessary.