This year I made my first Christmas pudding. It wasn’t a total disaster, but it wasn’t a triumph, either. I followed this recipe with some modifications.
I substituted sunflower seeds for walnuts, and apple cider for brandy. Dried fruit mix included dates, figs, currants, raisins, apricots, and sour cherries.
I steamed it in a glass bowl inside a canning pot. It set up okay, but was soggy. I made some crème anglaise with oat milk, which split and was very runny indeed. Tasted okay, though.
In other dodgy baking news, I purchased some divinity for myself as I love it during the holidays but don’t want the trouble of making it. It’s hard to find divinity without tree nuts (pecans, usually, or sometimes walnuts). I found some peppermint divinity on Etsy, and it’s delicious but super sweet, so I decided to roll it to make my own logs with crushed candy canes, bittersweet chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds.
Next year I’ll purchase some plain divinity and roll it in sunflower seeds. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.
Christmas dinner is tacos and Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie, which Bob made so it will be delicious.
Merry Christmas! Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and gentle holiday season.
Snakes & Cranes 
Mery Christmas, have a relaxing and joyful day!
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Merry Christmas, Alissa!
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OOOHHH! Is Bob willing to share the recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie??? (And why isn’t he wearing any of your handknits? You are beautifully decked out!)
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He is sensitive to wool and I don’t want to knit with anything else, so I knit socks for him, which are ok for some reason. Here is the recipe he used: https://onesweetappetite.com/mexican-chocolate-pie-recipe/
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I’m finally getting around to saying Thanks – the recipe is now on my laptop. And how does he do with alpaca?
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He does okay with alpaca. That’s a good point.
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If you put a fold in the paper and foil half way across before tying it around the bowl there will be some space for the steam to rise and this may help with the sogginess. Normal Christmas pudding is moist and sticky though, sticks to your teeth and then (as a kid) you flash a big smile at your siblings much to our parents annoyance.
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😆
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“Dodgy baking news” – ha! Thanks for the laugh. Hey congratulations on trying things and I bet the pudding was delicious!
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I’ve never made a traditional Christmas pudding, but this looks really pretty anyway! And I’m glad it was tasty. Happy New Year!
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Your pudding looks wonderful! Sounds like you guys had some delicious Christmas treats 🙂
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