The Christmas Pudding That's Been Beloved Since The 14th Century

Ahh, Christmas pudding. In both the past and present, it's England's ultimate holiday cake, a pure indulgence eagerly awaited as the winter season approaches. The plump little dome-shaped beauty also goes by the names of plum pudding or figgy pudding, as in the famous Dickens novel, "A Christmas Carol." Though firmly rooted in British culture, some modern-day Brits privately turn their noses up at the thick, nutty, spicy, brandy-soaked dried-fruit dessert. It's not unlike how Americans react to the curious persistence of fruitcake gifting — plus the perplexing fact that Christmas pudding is not at all like the smooth, creamy, custardy puddings of North America.

But Christmas pudding, love it or not, has certainly earned its place in history, with a version dating back to at least the early 1400s. At the time, it was more savory than sweet, typically made with meat, fat, root vegetables, and dried fruit, notably prunes — the dried version of plums. Rather than a dessert, this plum pottage appeared as a pre-meal appetizer. Some accounts take the tradition back even further to the 14th century, when frumenty (a boiled-milk porridge version) gained popularity in the bland dining days of Lent and Advent. 

None of those early holiday renditions even remotely resemble the sweet, boozy, cake-like Christmas pudding now served during the holidays. It would take centuries of political and cultural unfolding to define what's now the sweet king of Christmas. Even more time passed before the advent of the practice of lighting a brandy-fueled fire to that moist, boiled, boozy dome of rich deliciousness.

Once Christmas pudding evolved in the Middle Ages from meaty sustenance to sweet-treat status, it became a core component of Christmas tradition, along with nativity performances, group caroling, decorations, and festive fruit punches. But darker days loomed on the horizon, bringing the English Civil War and a Puritanical power grab by Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s and '50s. He essentially tumbled the monarchy, imposed religious sanctions, and eventually even banned plum pudding and all joyful holiday revelry.

As sad as that seems, the battle over figgy pudding was minor compared to Cromwell's treacherous hand in the beheading of King Charles I and the subsequent exile of Charles II. Fortunately, Cromwell's victory was relatively short-lived, and Charles II triumphantly assumed the throne in 1660, and back came the Christmas pudding! Royalty ever after elevated the dessert as part of an English Christmas tradition, including George I, dubbed the Pudding King.

In the Victorian era of the 1800s, it spread from royalty to the common people, with poor families saving pennies all year to afford pudding ingredients. Thus, we have the touching story of Christmas pudding in Dickens' tale of the Cratchit family. Christmas pudding is now so interwoven with family and holiday tradition that it's common for family members to join in the pudding-making ritual, stirring the final ingredients together and making individual wishes. It's a lot of work, with multiple layers of building the pudding to a grand finale, culminating in a lighted flambé blaze of brandy glory. 

If you've experienced the making of a Christmas pudding, it's likely that you know about the pudding cloth. Though alternatives exist now, it's still surprisingly common to see puddings being wrapped in fabric pieces coated with flour. I personally grew up with this traditional preparation method, helping tie cloths on endless figgy puddings in the English seaside kitchens of my British grandparents' cafe and catering company. As an honorary Brit by blood with only summer and holiday status, it took a long time for my Uncle, the pastry chef, to begrudgingly divulge the family recipe. 

The cloth pudding sacks, also known as boiling sacks, were at one time considered "modern," at least compared to Medieval pudding casings made with animal parts (similar to sausage-making). With a shift away from meat-based Christmas puddings, the cloths sufficed for holding and preserving the sweeter dessert-style puddings. A further departure for today's chefs is switching from boiling to steaming, often with no cloth at all, only foil and string for holding the pudding together.

The ingredient list is long for authentic Christmas pudding recipes, though variations exist from family to family. It's typically some variation of dried fruits, including raisins and figs, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, eggs, flour, candied citrus peels, suet fat (not to be confused with lard), sometimes fresh apples, and a few tablespoons of brandy, cognac, or rum. When assembled, the puddings steam or boil for hours before finally being served with brandy-laden sauces, butters, and creams — and the iconic brandy flambé is the grand finale.