Sunday, November 20, 2011

NaBloPoMo 20: Stir up Sunday

Today is Stir Up Sunday, when you traditionally make Christmas pudding. It's the last Sunday before Advent, the season of preparation and penitence before Christmas, and it's celebrated as Christ the King, looking at the power and majesty of God. The traditional collect or special daily prayer for this day is:

"Stir up, we beseech thee,

O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people;

that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,

may of thee be plenteously rewarded;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

 

The old wives tale is that old wives, hearing this collect, would be reminded that they needed to go home after church and stir up and make their Christmas puddings, giving the puddings time to mature over Advent, ready for Christmas.

So that's what I did after church today, having printed out hundreds of flyers and posters advertising the various events we're running, and done a spot of present shopping.

Here's our family recipe from my Great Auntie Peg:

ingredients

  • 2oz flour
  • 4oz breadcrumbs
  • 4oz brown sugar
  • 2oz sultanas
  • 4oz raisins
  • 4oz currants
  • 2oz candied peel
  • 1oz almonds
  • rind and juice of 1/2 orange or lemon
  • 1 sour apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. mixed spice
  • 2-3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp whiskey

N.B. You can used mixed fruit

Method

  1. Put all the prepared fruit into a large bowl, all the other dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  2. Beat up the eggs and them, the orange/lemon and whiskey to the dry mix and bind together.
  3. Leave overnight.
  4. Turn into a well greased bowl and cover with greased paper then foil, tying tightly.
  5. Steam for 4 hours.
  6. When cold store in a dry place for several weeks.
  7. Steam for 2 hours before serving onto a hot dish with brandy butter


 

 

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