Stir Up Sunday - Lucky Sixpence Christmas Pudding

Today is Stir Up Sunday so we had to make a Christmas pudding. I love traditions like this and think that they are great to hand down through generations.

Today we started a new family Christmas tradition.

Today we added a lucky sixpence to our Christmas pudding. This year The Royal Mint made 2015 sixpences especially for Stir Up Sunday. They invited people to apply for one of the sixpences to add to their Christmas puddings. I was over the moon when I received one through the post. That is when our new, family Christmas tradition was born. Both the hubby and I love traditions and creating our own family traditions that our children will always remember as being a huge part of their lives. We hope to see them continue these traditions with their children and see them handed down through generations. Thanks to The Royal Mint we now have a sixpence for our Christmas puddings and it will stay in the family for years to come!

This year I have combined two pudding recipes. I have used my Wee Dram Christmas Pudding and some of the recipe that came from The Royal Mint with the sixpence.

This is what I did...

Lucky Sixpence Christmas Pudding

Ingredients

350g mixed fruit with candied peel
100g cranberries
1 orange, zest and juice
1 brambly apple, peeled and grated
30g chopped hazelnut
125g chopped walnuts
85g vegetable suet
50g soft dark brown sugar
50g honey, I used Manuka honey
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
55g breadcrumbs
50g dark chocolate 80% cocoa solids, cut into small chunks
4tbsp cream sherry
30g coconut flour (if you do not have coconut flour plain flour will also be fine)
2 eggs, beaten

Method

1 - Place the mixed fruit, cranberries, orange zest and juice, chopped hazelnuts and chopped walnuts in a large mixing bowl and mix together

2 - In a separate bowl mix together the grated brambly apple, vegetable suet and the breadcrumbs and using your hands mix it together and add to the fruit and nuts

3 - Add the chocolate chips, brown sugar and the honey to the bowl and mix together

4 - Sprinkle over the flour, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix thoroughly

5 - Pour over the beaten eggs and sherry and mix

6 - Once all of the ingredients are evenly combined add the sixpence.

7 - Now this is the fun part, get everyone to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon and make a wish!

7 - Place the pudding mixture into a 1 litre, greased pudding bowl, cover the bowl with baking paper and foil folded in a fan pleat to allow expansion due to the steam and tie with string

8 - Place a sauce in the bottom of a large pan and sit the pudding bowl on the top, pour water into the pan so that it goes half way up the pudding bowl and bring to the boil

9 - Reduce the heat, cover and leave it simmering for 4 hours, checking the level of water regularly

10 - After 4 hours remove from the heat and allow the pudding bowl to cool completely

11 - Cover with a new piece of foil and baking paper, tie with a piece of string and store ready for Christmas day!

On Christmas day simply steam the pudding in the same way for one hour then enjoy with your chosen sauce.

Whoever is served the lucky sixpence will get their wish come true and will have luck with them all year.

*Note* I applied for the sixpence and was lucky to receive it. The Royal Mint has not asked me to write this post I am  simply sharing our experience.