Rich and heavy, a little bit of Christmas pudding goes a long way. There is nothing quite like it as a base for the variety of accompaniments presented with it - brandy butter, hard sauce, poured custard, white cornstarch sauce and more recently whipped cream or ice cream.
A good Christmas pudding is started months before Christmas, steamed for several hours, then tightly wrapped and left to age. Whisky or brandy are used to plump up the dried fruit and are added to the cooked pudding from time to time. On the day, the pudding is once again steamed for a few hours. Then hot brandy is poured over it and set alight.
Traditionally, a three-penny (thruppence) or six-penny (sixpence) coin, both long out of circulation, is baked in the pudding. Finding it is considered good luck. In some families, silver or porcelain charms are kept for this purpose.
A Great Christmas Pudding Recipe from Elaine Lemm, About.com's Guide to British Food.
