For ever so long I’ve wanted to make my Nan Purton’s Christmas pudding. I always tend to make my other Nan’s.

Reason is that in Nan Purton’s hand written recipe, the amount of breadcrumbs is not specified.

However, recently I’ve been looking up other people’s old recipes and based on those, I think I now have it figured – the one and a half pounds is half flour and half fresh breadcrumbs.

I still remember this pudding as the best I ever tasted – no added nasties (as I saw it as a child) of nuts or mixed peel, let alone glace cherries. Instead – always a surprise find of highly prized threepenny bits were to be found, at least one, in every portion.

I wanted to make different sizes, some for family to share, some as small gifts.Just look at those tiny (300g capacity) tins. I bought them last year from the local hardware store. They are incredibly good, non-stick and make perfect little puddings. I actually wish I’d bought more as they are ideal for single serves at the festive table – in the new “normal” of Covid considerations, this is a bonus.

(By the way, the batter for the puddings was so large that one of my large jam pans had to be used as the mixing bowl.)

This recipe of Nan’s recipes made eight puddings of various sizes.

I’d also bought various pudding basins at ops shops over the years, with what I thought were matching lids – not quite so, but that’s ok, a covering of 2 layers of foil and tied around the rim served the purpose.

So here they all sit now – they’ve each had a generous brushing with rum and tomorrow will get another. Then they will be ready to wrap, decorate and give as gifts.