After reading The Mousse Wonderful Time of Year a culinary mystery in one of my favorite series, The Oxford Tearoom Mysteries by H. Y. Hanna, I was reminded that Christmas traditions vary throughout the world. The British have enjoyed Christmas Pudding on Christmas Day for centuries. Americans often scoff at Christmas Pudding because most recipes call for bitter citron and candied fruit, like fruitcake, which is one of those things you have to grow up on to like. Mincemeat is also big in the UK, and theirs is very different from what is served in the US; it is actually delicious, (incidentally modern mincemeat contains no meat – just dried fruit like raisins, currants, almonds, and sultanas) and they use it in lots of luscious desserts. Mince pies are a favorite of almost everyone who has eaten them in the UK, and when I visit I always bring several boxes back home. Since British mincemeat is very different from US mincemeat, I always make my own (Homemade Boozey Mincemeat) if I haven’t been to England to pick up a few jars, and then use my homemade version in the following Slow Cooker English Christmas Mincemeat Pudding, which is a favorite with the Official Hancock Tasters, especially Mr. Picky, believe it or not.

This pudding is moist, and can easily be made in the slow cooker. It’s always served with a sauce – custard sauce is my favorite, but hard sauce, and brandy sauce are also popular. This pudding doesn’t contain any of that bitter citron, and can be glazed with a simple powdered sugar glaze, if you like. For those who like a boozy taste, this pudding can also be flambéed with a little brandy, which is also a tradition in the UK (drizzle it with brandy, and warm some additional brandy on a spoon, then light it and pour it over the pudding). It can also be made ahead and frozen, so it’s easy on the cook. No matter how you serve it, it will be a delicious dessert for Christmas dinner.

8 Servings

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice, or baking spice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 cup Prepared Mincemeat, homemade or store-bought

1. Prepare a standard pudding basin that fits in your slow cooker by spraying liberally with Baker's Joy or non-stick spray with a dusting of flour; spray the underside of a piece of foil with non-stick spray.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light; beat in the eggs and orange marmalade.
3. Scrape the sides down and add the self-rising flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, and nutmeg; mix well.
4. Spoon half of the mixture into the basin.
5. Spoon half of the mincemeat over the batter and swirl.
6. Top with the remaining batter, then the remaining mincemeat, then swirl again.
7. Cover with the sprayed foil.
8. Place in the slow cooker on a rack and pour boiling water over to come up about halfway.
9. Cover the slow cooker, set to high, and let cook 3-4 hours or until the pudding is set.
10. Carefully remove from the slow cooker and let sit about 15 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter.
11. The pudding can be frozen at this point if you like.
    Serve wedges of the warmed pudding topped with custard, hard sauce, or ice cream.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 505 Calories from Fat 181
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 36% Protein 4% Carb. 60%

Nutrient Amount per
Total Fat 20 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Cholesterol 126 mg
Sodium 204 mg
Total Carbohydrate 75 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 39 g
Protein 6 g

Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 0% Iron 5%