Frances Quinn: make the most of leftover Christmas pudding

Christmas pudding and leftovers, I love them both, especially when it comes to Christmas pudding leftovers.

Coming from a large family, with large appetites to match it’s actually quite rare we have any Christmas pudding left. But when we do or even better have thought ahead and bought two, the left over pudding options are endless. Combining them with other festive leftovers, even better.

Christmas Bread and Brandy Butter Pudding

Sliced up and spread with brandy butter, before being smothered in custard makes this traditional English pudding twice as traditional and twice as tasty. Alternating the slices with left over panettone or stollen is another option and serves up a slightly less rich concoction.

Christmas Pudding Trifle

I love to put Christmas pudding and trifle in the same bowl and enjoy together. The mix of flavours, textures and alcohol in both results in a real feeling and taste of Christmas spirit. Whether considered wrong or right, any leftover Christmas pudding can actually be used as the base of a whole new trifle.

Christmas pudding, sour morello cherries or oranges, layered up with lashings of custard and cream makes for a full on festive dessert. Especially if topped off and covered with a flurry of flaked toasted almonds or coconut.

Christmas Pudding Snow Scene and Sundaes

Rather than custard or cream, ice-cream especially if scooped into snowball size balls can make for a winter wonderland looking pud. Served hot the Christmas pudding contrasts brilliantly with the cold ice-cream. Whether festive flavoured or not, sprinkling over desiccated coconut, creates another layer of flavoursome snow and adds texture to the scene and spoonful.

Christmas pudding ice-cream sundaes also make a brilliant dessert, whatever the day of the week. Considering most of us lose track of what day of the week it is over Christmas, Sunday or Sundae both end the week and meal perfectly.

Christmas Pudding Truffles and Tiffin

As with Christmas cake, leftover Christmas pudding can be crumbled up and rolled up into Christmas truffles. Delicious dusted in cocoa or mixed up with melted chocolate or ganache and tossed in chopped nuts, the only thing you’ll be left over with is an extra chocolate hit and crunch.

In fact, if you find yourself with a lot of leftover chocolate, nuts and biscuits, turn them and any Christmas pudding pieces into a festive slab of tiffin. No need to add the dried fruit to the mix, as the pud will have it covered, in alcohol no less. Chocolate covered raisins and pud in one festive refrigerator cake.

Will you try Frances Quinn’s recipes this year or is Christmas pudding not your bag? Do you have any tips or recipes of your own for other Christmas leftovers? 

This is a guest post from Frances Quinn, winner of The Great British Bake-Off 2013.