My Great-Grandfather’s Pudding | Documenting Traditions

My Great Grandfather’s Pudding (aka the year I ate too much pudding!)

We spent alternate Christmases with my maternal grandparents which were filled with cousins, running around, fun and love. They were a traditional kind of Christmas that involved going to mass as a family (where Grandma was always a few beats ahead in hymns and prayers), roast meat, bon bons and Grandfather handing out the presents under the tree. As the evening wore on the cover would sometimes come off the organ or the be lifted off the piano. The kicthen was always the hive of activity and as I grew older I really noticed and appreciated how this small kitchen contained so many memories – and family members! – at each different get together. The most coveted seat at the table was the stool that had a shower cap for cover.

I also remember always enjoying a little bit of pudding but one year I learned there were a few old coins hidden and the person who had a piece with a coin got it swapped for Australian dollars. $AU2 got a lot of mini musks at Sticky Fingers lolly shop back then! This was the year I continued eating boiled pudding until, out of sympathy, Grandma hid a coin in the piece she was serving. I seem to remember I was about 3 servings in by this stage.

This year I am hosting my in-laws for Christmas as Josh is working away Christmas Day but has this weekend off so we are getitng in a few days early. I mentioned to Mum that as this is my first year hosting and not joinging other family Christmas celebrations, I wanted to have a go at my Great Grandfather’s pudding. He was a baker and while I haven’t compared the recipe with others to see if it is ‘his own’ or a standard recipe, it is the only one I have eaten and I love it. Mum made sure I knew that everyone who is home while the pudding is being made MUST have a stir before it is put in the cloth. This is something Grandma was adamanet about and has passed down to Mum. I decided to take a few photos along the way to document my first attempt at this recipe. Stay tuned for an update with the final result!

Do you have a long standing recipe or tradition for Christmas?