This Sunday is Stir-up Sunday!
This day, which is always the last Sunday before Advent, is the traditional time to make your Christmas pudding and cake. Everyone in the house stirs the mixture and makes a wish.
In common with most children, my boys are not particularly keen on Christmas cake or pudding. They do, however, still enjoy joining in with the rituals of making the cake: putting the fruit on to soak, stirring the mixture and – of course – icing it when the time comes.
Every November I consult my recipe books and try to decide which cake to make this year. I’m a big fan of Mary Berry, Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson, and tend to rotate the recipes each year. Make your cake now and it will have plenty of time to mature in time for Christmas.
I have decided to make a small cake this year, so I’m going to follow Nigella’s traditional classic recipe, which gives you three different size options. I can’t find this recipe online, but it features in her Christmas book. Mary Berry’s recipe for a Victorian Christmas cake is also excellent. And you can’t go wrong with Delia’s Classic cake either.
I made the Mary Berry one last year and it was a winner!
This year, I’m considering making my own Christmas pudding too. Sixpences, or other small tokens, were often traditionally added to puddings. Our family has never done this, but this year the Royal Mint are giving away 2,015 free sixpences to encourage people to revive the old tradition. I’ve signed up for one and I’m crossing my fingers that I get it in time. If I do, then it’ll be just the excuse I need to made a traditional pudding this Sunday. I’ll almost certainly turn to this recipe from Delia.
What will you be stirring up this Sunday?
My family don’t like Christmas cake or pudding, so unfortunately I miss out on the whole exciting mix it, bake it, feed it with booze tradition. Instead I get to bake a LOT of mince pies! (And, in other unrelated and completely pointless news, we have the same kettle as you!)
I always make a cake anyway, even if I’m the only who eats it. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without one! I wonder if your kettle is as old as ours? This one is 6 years old and I’m longing for a shiny new one!
I make the Mary Berry Victorian one too – putting sherry in it seems weird – but works!! I’ve added apricots to mine this year….. Ps I’m the only one who eats it in this household too! I spend post Christmas travelling round with it, to offer to a wider audience!!
I expect I’ll be doing that too! Although I’m making a very tiny one this year by my usual standards 🙂