Christmas puddings and the Australian Christmas lunch
My new Christmas dress clinging to my sweat-soaked back and the suffocating air of a tiny terrace house in Melbourne’s west, brimming with family (half who were smokers) for an Australian Christmas lunch, was never enough to deter me from munching into my aunty’s homemade Christmas pudding. She wasn’t the greatest cook, but puddings seemed to be her forte.
We eagerly shovelled this remnant of our European heritage into our mouths. Nannas hovered around the younger kids, as this dish was fraught with danger—particularly after the 50c piece was introduced. If we didn’t chip a tooth, it was choking that threatened. Each bite was cautiously chewed in the anticipatory thrill of feeling a coin.
The history of the Christmas pudding
It never occurred to us then, but the Christmas pudding has a rich history dating back over 500 years to the heart of medieval England. It evolved from a broth made from dried fruits, spices, wine, breadcrumbs and almond meal, into a sausage type food which would be sliced and served with a main meal or as an entrée. Sometimes meat or meat stock was included in the recipe; quite different from the Christmas puddings we serve up today.
The English puritans banned this sinful delight for a short time during the middle of the 17th century. But Christmas pudding soon became an established Christmas tradition for all classes of society.
By Victorian times, celebrating Christmas was a popular event and the Christmas pudding was incorporated into Christmas lunch. By now the main ingredients were flour, dried fruits, suet, sugar, eggs and spices. Nuts or liquor such as brandy were also included. Christmas pudding was usually served with brandy sauce, custard, or hard sauce (now known as brandy butter). The pudding was often decorated with a sprig of holly.
It was common for families to come together on Stir Up Sunday, the fifth Sunday before Christmas. In preparation for Christmas lunch, family members would take a turn in stirring the pudding mixture and making a wish for the future. Small trinkets or coins would be added to the mix; ring to signify a marriage, a thimble to indicate spinsterhood or coins to signify wealth.
And the Christmas pudding ends up in Australia
The humble Christmas pudding grew in stature to become a symbol of unity across the British Empire. The Empire Marketing Board obtained permission to use the royal family’s Christmas pudding recipe. This recipe was tweaked to include ingredients from throughout the empire, with the final recipe including sultanas from Australia. The recipe was published far and wide, ending up in many Aussie grandma’s recipe books.
By the 20th century there were numerous recipes and ways of preparing Christmas pudding. The Vegetarian Society even put out a vegetarian recipe among their wider push to encourage a vegetarian Christmas.
Thanks to the spread of the Christmas pudding throughout the British Empire, we are still enjoying its many varieties today. And despite the sweltering heat, and the ice-cream we serve with our pudding, Australian’s still embrace this tradition. The following Aussie pudding makers are testament to that.
Our 9 favourite Australian Christmas pudding makers
Alpine Valleys Fine Foods
Alpine Valleys Fine Foods make traditional plum puddings from their Gold Award winning recipe (Sydney Royal Fine Food Show) in 4 sizes including a single individual serve mini pudding.
They also make a delicious Gluten-free Plum Pudding.
Attractively presented in calico, satin ribbon and a swing tag, these also make a delicious personal or corporate gift.
Special Reserve Plum Pudding with Rutherglen Muscat and Barossa Valley Brandy. This is available in very limited supply only.
Beautiful Australian sultanas, currants and raisins (some sourced organically) marinated in a generous amount of Stanton & Killeen’s magnificent Muscat and premium Barossa Valley brandy. Also free range eggs, real butter, brown sugar and a special blend of traditional Christmas spices. All made by Chris in their commercial country kitchen in the Buckland Valley.
Newcastle’s Pudding Lady
Newcastle’s Pudding Lady have remained a family-owned business, and from humble beginnings have grown into an iconic and much-loved enterprise developing innovative and luxurious products to suit a contemporary market. Tradition and care continue to drive their evolution. They still select the finest ingredients to craft their puddings to exacting standards – creamy butter from Australian cows, plump fruit grown and dried under the sun, finely milled flour from Australian wheat, farm fresh free-range eggs, distilled spirits made from Australian grown fruits and grains and superior spices from every corner of the globe.
Every pudding is hand finished, wrapped in cloth and tied with ribbon, continuing to excite and delight our customers, as they have always done.
Pud For All Seasons
Pud For All Seasons, renowned supplier of the tastiest gourmet puddings, dessert sauces, and chocolate delicacies for all occasions in Australia. Based in Castlemaine, Pud For All Seasons delivers old favourites and new classics to your door – from mouth-watering traditional Christmas puddings to date and butterscotch, double choc orange, cranberry and white chocolate, and more! Pud For All Seasons has a wide range of gluten-free and dairy free puddings for those who have special dietary requirements.
Ray’s Traditional Homemade Plum Puddings
RAY’S TRADITIONAL HOME MADE PLUM PUDDINGS PTY. LTD. As the name implies has only one commodity to sell – Christmas Plum Puddings, made to an ageing recipe which never varies. The same high quality and standards, made by hand, cooked in the cloth plum puddings as Mums have done through the ages. A tried and true formula for a successful product which is a delight to eat.
Adamstown Pudding Kitchen
Adamstown Pudding Kitchen is a Newcastle not for profit business that provides traditional and gourmet puddings as well as gourmet produce to pudding connoisseurs and foodies both locally and around Australia.
Phillippa’s
Phillippa’s is a leading premium wholesale and retail bakery supplying Melbourne’s public and discerning retailers since 1994. They are proud to be an Australian family-owned and run business, and they’re passionate about making great food, every day, to enjoy with family, friends and customers.
They use the best quality natural ingredients – mostly local and organic – and traditional baking methods in the pursuit of distinctive flavour and texture.
They produce quality products that really stand out from the first bite and provide quality service that is evident from the first interaction with them.
The Pudding People
Rich with Sultanas, Raisins, Currants, enhanced further with spices and other natural flavourings, The Pudding People puddings have become household favourites, ordered year after year.
With a long shelf life, attractive packaging, and sizes to suit all occasions, a pudding from The Pudding People should be standard fare in your house this Christmas.
They also cater for CHRISTMAS IN JULY celebrations, Christmas in AUGUST
celebrations – in fact, they are open 365 days a year, whenever you need a pudding!
Barossa Farm Christmas Pudding
Treat your family and friends this Christmas. Handmade, suet based, Christmas pudding made in the Barossa Valley from Barossan and South Australian ingredients.
Kytons Bakery
All your Christmases do come at once with Kytons Christmas fare. Award winning Christmas Puddings, mince pies, slices, cakes and cookies. Great gift ideas or products to delight everyone around your Christmas table.
A few Australian Christmas Pudding recipes
There’s always a few die-hard traditionalists, and these recipes will give you the opportunity to wow your friends and family with a delicious truly homemade Australian Christmas pudding. Enjoy.
Empire Plum Pudding Recipe
This link will provide you with the iconic Christmas pudding recipe that went around the globe in the early 1900s. Make sure you use Australian ingredients, in keeping with tradition.
Four Great Australian Christmas Pudding Recipes
This link provides a traditional Aussie recipe and a few variations, including an Ice Cream Plum Pudding. Try them all!
The Last Minute Christmas Pudding Recipe
You’ll need two days to make this Australian Christmas pudding. Is it worth it? Yes.
