Pick of the puddings: pricey doesn’t always mean best

Unfortunately health & safety considerations seem to have outlawed the manufacture of food containing the coins we remember from our youth. This can be found in the Christmas and Other Festive Puddings Regulations 1978, as amended. I believe that there is an exemption for consenting parents (or guardians) and their children to be allowed to make and consume the offending objects.

Incidentally, the traditional use of holly with red berries to decorate Christmas puddings is the first known use of the ‘traffic light’ symbols to denote food with a high fat and sugar content. I believe that it fell through a time warp, to use the language of science fiction enthusiasts.

As ever, Wavechange, we are indebted to you for your pearls of wisdom on even the most improbable subjects. I seem to remember those regulations being made on April 1st 1978, and like a good pudding, to the gullible, they remain edible almost for ever. Of course, to replicate the spending power of a pre-decimal sixpence you would probably have to put a £2 coin in the mix and hope not to choke on it.

I agree that it would be nice to have healthier Christmas puddings. Whether they would taste nice is another question.

If you have Christmas pudding once a year, the sugar and fat are unlikely to kill you. Just remember that a 680 g Mrs Peek’s pudding is meant to contain several servings.

Oops. I’m getting two messages mixed up, Anton. It wasn’t you who mentioned Mrs Peek’s puddings.

Hi, Wavechange! Comment noted! (Re: Mrs Peek’s) We are a big familly when we all get together – and, yes, we keep the portions of Christmas pudding small – it’s for the enjoyment of the once-a-year nostalgic taste (or not so nostalgic some years when we can’t find the right one), not for the over filled and and uncomfortably heavy feeling that we would get from more than a small portion!

Hi Anton: A lot of the sugar comes from the dried fruit in the pudding – more dried fruit gives a higher percentage of sugar. The dark sugar and treacle added to the cakey bit don’t taste so sweet and anyway we only indulge in Christmas pud once or twice a year! Just enjoy! We have ours with brandy or rum butter – mmmmm!

I totally second that – I’ve been buying the Carved Angel’s traditional pud for a few years (I think they were mentioned in an edition of The Week which discussed the best food providers for Christmas, along with Hebridean Smokehouse from whom I order my smoked salmon!)

Thanks for the tip. Will look out for them!

I agree which should do a taste test on Christmas puddings most cook well in a microwave so it would not be time consuming.Those of you who shop at Aldi i suggest you read my previous post on
Posted 20 November 2012 at 6:28 pm 1 – 1 many branded Christmas Puddings have disappeared off
the Supermarket shelves so buyers have less knowledge of what they are buying.Years ago my mother would buy about 3 brands and it would be a family taste test.

It looks like its gone off the market altogether. Mrs Elizabeth Peek died in 1867 so all the stock has presumably now been sold.

You can get a 1952 advert for Mrs Peeks pud off ebay at present if you’re a real fan.

I’m not – bah humbug. It’s too sweet; but, like turkey, Christmas would not be the same without it. I like the brandy sauce bit best. If I had a choice I’d have a grilled peach or (and) decent ice cream drizzled (liberally) with Pedro Ximenez sherry.

But we’ve only just finished summer. No need to think about Christmas for another 59 days, is there?

It was like Summer here today but the shops are filling up with Christmas stuff already. First they have to clear the mountain of pumpkins and ghoulish outfits and accessories that are the harbinger of the forthcoming season known as ‘austerity’ when people shoot £5 notes up into the sky and then eat and drink themselves to bursting point.

Who mentioned Christmas pudding?

I’ve taken a peek and it looks as if John is right.

‘Tis the season to be thrifty
Tra La La La La, La La La La
Marks is trying something nifty.
Tra La La La La, La La La La
Half-price biscuits,
Save on Whiskey
What a Lot, Even more, Large, Large, Large,
Until the medics cannot lift me,
Tra La La La La, La La La La

Sorry!

There’s no brandy to pour over the Christmas pudding. I reckon Ian must have drunk it.

I can vouch for the £3 (half price) choccybics. If Ian has really finished his brandy he could pop down to Tescos for a bottle of Everyday Value (assuming he drinks everyday) for just £11.

:-)))

It’s alright, Ian. They can’t touch you for it.

You mean I’m incomparable? :-))))