The British Royal family has made quite the stir lately (culinary stir, that is!) with news of both gin and pudding on the horizon - both of which, quite frankly, sound amazing. The exciting news as of most recently, though, comes from the chefs for the Royal family who have officially released the recipe for their traditional Christmas pudding, something that's traditional in England for the holidays and has been around for some centuries. What makes this news so exciting is that it's the recipe used for the Royal family's holiday, making it that much more special.

The second-best part of this news is that the recipe is incredibly simple and, yes, it can be made ahead of time. As in, way ahead of time - it can actually be baked a month in advance and stored until Christmas Day. When the recipe was revealed via video and comment on Twitter, it was also revealed that the timing was due to 'Stirup Sunday,' which is when the chefs for the Royal family usually mix up the Christmas pudding and leave it to sit in a cool, dark place until Christmas Day arrives. That's part of the reason this recipe is so great - not only can it be mixed up in a flash (as shown in the video) but it can also be made so far ahead of time that there's a chance you might even forget about it when December 25th gets here (but seriously, don't do that... because this pudding is absolutely scrumptious).

The Video, The Reveal, And How It's Made

Posted to the Royal Family's Twitter account, the Christmas pudding starts out with some pretty simple ingredients that should be easy to find in most places. With raisins, currents, mixed citrus peels, sultanas, suet (regular or vegetarian), flour, breadcrumbs, mixed spices, eggs, demerara sugar, beer, dark rum, and brandy, it couldn't be simpler. In case you didn't catch it, this Christmas pudding also has three different types of alcohol involved... Which, we're not going to lie, only adds more flavor and intrigue to this traditional British pudding.

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First, the dry ingredients are mixed and then the wet ingredients are added before the entire pudding is steamed. However, there is one key piece of equipment needed in order to make this pudding in the traditional way (and shape): Pudding basins. However, with a quick Google search, it was revealed that these could be found very easily; some going for as cheap as nine dollars. There are pricier options and, with them, various materials - so that's a personal preference. Additionally, muslin or aluminum foil is needed in order to cover the top of the basin and allow the pudding to steam in the way it requires. Aside from stirring the ingredients and buttering the dish, that's it! It's as simple as that. Once the pudding has steamed, it's ready to be stored in a cool, dark place, until Christmas Day (or whenever it's going to be eaten, because we wouldn't blame anyone for digging into this decadent pudding a bit early, and we certainly wouldn't tell anyone).

A Little Background

Obviously, British pudding is not the same as the pudding seen in the US. In stark contrast, British pudding is similar to a sponge cake but far denser and, in many cases, stickier and with a dark brown color. Inside the pudding are dried fruits and citrus, and brandy is the traditional liquor of choice to use to flavor the pudding. The result is a delicious cake-like dessert that can be served warm, with a scent that smells like Christmas and a flavor that's citrusy, full-bodied, slightly spicy, and sweet.

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The reason that Christmas pudding, in particular, is made ahead is to allow it to 'mature,' according to The Spruce Eats. 'Stirup Sunday' is the Sunday before Advent and always falls during the end of November, which is when Christmas pudding is usually mixed up so that it can be left to sit until Christmas Day. Traditionally, families would gather on Stirup Sunday in order to mix up the puddings, make wishes, and throw some coins into the pudding batter. There's also a semi-exact science when it comes to eating this pudding - if eaten immediately after it's baked, there's a strong possibility that the entire pudding will collapse, resulting in something that's less of a pudding and more of a pile of crumbs. Allowing the cake to mature will also allow it to hold its shape. To reheat the pudding, it only needs to be steamed for roughly an hour and traditionally, it's served with a brandy sauce, custard, or brandy butter.

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