My Nan used to make this for me, for as long of my life as I can remember, until she became to frail to do so. It’s based on copha, which is quite unusual.
She always boiled it in a pudding cloth so that it could hang for several weeks to mature.
It’s really delicious, so I’ve decided to share it- recipes this good need to be remembered and used.
It will always be known as Nanna Little Car’s Christmas Pudding, owing to the fact that she drove a bright pink Mini. The only change I’ve made is to convert to metric measurements.
Nanna Little Car’s Christmas Pudding
250g copha
250g brown sugar
½ tablespoon treacle
4 large or 5 small eggs
250g currants
250g sultanas
125g raisins
125g mixed peel
125g whole almonds or a few drops of almond essence
¾ cup brandy
125g breadcrumbs
125g plain flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice
1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
Mix the copha, softened, with sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and boil 5 hours.
looks lovely, but is the reference to almond essence right? And could you use butter instead of copha? Why does the copha worry me I wonder?
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Yes, you are right – I have clarified now or it could be read by a novice cook that it was 125g almond essence. Blech. It was typed up as Nan wrote it, but surely that clarification is a good idea. Thanks.
Yes, you can use butter as indeed I have done in the past. Copha is not my favourite ingredient. However, the flavour is not the same as my Nan’s then, nor is the texture. In this day and age of all things coconut (oil, milk, cream, water, etc.), I guess it’s almost modern again.
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Hi Sally, This sounds lovely and i have never made a Xmas pudding before. Can you please advise which type of container i would use to boil this in or where i can purchase a suitable pudding cloth? Many Thanks
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I usually make this in a pudding cloth, which can be purchased from Habitat in Hobart. However, I’m sure just about any kitchenwares store would stock them at this time of year.
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Hi Sally, thank you for this recipe! I’ve had to give up all dairy due to a breastfed baby with a sensitive stomach, and was facing a Christmas without many nice things to eat. But I sent this recipe to my mum, and after flying from Hobart to Sydney on Christmas afternoon was greeted with the most delicious pudding I’ve ever had. Next year I’ll have to make it myself.
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