At Home, Delicious, Irish Pudding for Christmas

Have you made pudding for your holiday dessert? If not, see below for some great tips!

The holiday time is a great time for experimenting with new or different customs. For the most part, many people like to stick with the traditional things that they have always experienced during the season. But, if you are Irish, perhaps there are some things that you can do to make your holiday dessert more representative of your homeland.

Desserts are usually the best part of the meal anyway, aren’t they? And it seems that every country has their specialty. In Ireland or even if you live abroad, you can make some pretty neat sweets that are essentially Irish. One common and pretty symbolic holiday dessert is plum pudding. This is not the same type of pudding that most of us envision which is made from milk and is smooth and creamy. In fact, this item is far from that.

The dish is more of a starch and fruit based recipe with lots of different spices added to it. Another interesting anecdote regarding plum pudding is that it contains no plums in it. Rather it contains cherries, almonds and even a little bit of Guinness if you want. See here for a great plum pudding recipe that even your mother would love!

Even better are that there are rituals or commonly known guidelines for making this pudding for those who are serious about it. For starters, you are supposed to make it before the twenty-fifth of December. I’m not sure what will happen if you don’t but, I suppose the rule is because the pudding represents Christ and the ingredients represent his disciples. Being late for a birthday is never really a good idea either.

In some families, each member takes a turn stirring the pudding. This ensures that they will each benefit from the many gifts this dessert is believed to bring. It is also common to make a wish as you stir in the ingredients. Many pastimes involve mixing coins into the batter as well as buttons.

If you are so lucky to receive a piece with a coin in it, then custom says that your wish will come true. Sometimes gold rings have been baked into this pudding. The fortunate person who finds that treasure is thought to get married in the next year. On the other hand, a button or a thimble in your serving will mean that you will remain unattached. It is a somewhat sad forecast for some, but it does add to the excitement of the dessert!