Traditional British Christmas baking - puddings and mincepies! | Vlogmas 2020 #1

[@LaurenWade]

It’s really tickled me how baffled so many of you are by the concept of Christmas mincemeat and puddings! 🤣 It’s also the tradition that you light the pudding on fire at the table (lighting a ladle of brandy and pouring it over the top) and you can see this on my Instagram stories from last year if you don’t believe me! 🎄

[@krissyn.3366]

I'm from the US and I've definitely heard of Christmas pudding and that it is lit on fire, but I never knew what was in it. It is definitely not what we call "pudding" in the US. I think I'm most baffled by the beef suet. That is something we buy at feed stores for the birds. Doesn't seem like it would go well with fruit or human consumption. Lol. Beautiful video! Love the new kitchen and learning new things. Thanks Lauren! 💗🎄

[@christinakaras6452]

I was thinking the same thing: I just bought some Christmas suet for my birds! Haha.

[@christinakaras6452]

I’m really very impressed with your efforts, though! I love the idea of making these traditional Christmas treats. Congratulations, too!

[@johnsaxongitno4life588]

I am really jealous of you hope that you enjoy them please stay safe love from Australia

[@LaurenWade]

Hahaha, I guess suet is just fat? We certainly can buy fat balls for the birds as well 😂 do you not have suet dumplings or suet pastry? Maybe it’s just a disgusting old-fashioned English thing lol!

[@naomibrown3972]

"This recipe seems quite wet".....*adds more brandy* !

[@LaurenWade]

😅😅😅

[@lindacarson5429]

Well this was delightful. Very cosy. Your kitchen looks gorgeous!

[@ellawright12]

Just coming back here two weeks after watching to say how great your Christmas Spotify playlist is. I LOVE it. I’ll be listening every year 🎄

[@LaurenWade]

Thank you!! Although I should warn you, it changes every month so if you’d like to keep it for next Christmas I’d copy the songs to your own playlist before Jan ☺️ so glad you’re enjoying it! Xx

[@booklover847]

Such a lovely vlog. Really lovely to see British Christmas recipes. I'm from New Zealand so lovely to see the different take on recipes. My mum makes a mixed fruit Christmas cake with royal icing every year she doesn't put suet in her fruit mince mix and a few other things she doesn't put in lovely to watch this vlog so cozy.❤

[@jennyharmony1371]

Omg how did I not see this before today!!! Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! I am obsessed with your Vlogmas!!!!

[@vanessalaughtland4417]

This was so interesting to watch Lauren, I've never known the process for making a Christmas pudding! To be fair though, I don't like Christmas pudding so I'd never have considered making it myself :') I hope it turns out great!

[@AthynVixen]

Slivers are actually bigger not finer.. its like half a half of an almond.. like small sticks..Everything looks delicious. always wanted to try making my own mincemeat..

[@emilycurnow389]

This was so lovely thank you. I've made the Christmas pudding with my mum every November since I was a child. Now we do it with my two boys as well. We light candles and have Christmas music playing. Its wonderful. I steam mine in the slow cooker so I don't need to supervise it

[@emilycurnow389]

Oh and I use butter instead of suet. I think it tastes much yummier

[@LaurenWade]

Aaaah, how lovely and Christmassy! Yeah my mum has a pressure cooker and the whole thing is a lot easier! 😅

[@charlotteaakerman7711]

Nice to see the different traditions. As a Dane I loved trying mince pies while I studying in Scotland. In Denmark many eat a rice porridge for dessert on Christmas Eve. Well, in fact we have a rice porridge many will eat with sugar and cinnamon in December but then for Christmas, it’s mixed with whipped cream and bits of almond and served with cherry sauce. It’s called risalamande (ris = rice in Danish), and in Danish sounds french because that was fancy but it’s an entirely Danish dish. We even hide a whole almond and who ever gets it wins a little prize. Many will hide that they’ve found it to make others eat more and more searching for it 😅

[@LaurenWade]

That’s so cool! I love how the French-sounding name has made it seem fancier 😂 There’s also a tradition with the Christmas pudding that you hide a silver sixpence in there and whoever finds it has wealth for the new year ☺️

[@littledevonnook]

So lovely ❤️ I never used to like mince pies but have come around to them in the last few years. Definitely need to have a go at making my own 😊

[@BellesBooksbyCarly]

Yay for Christmas baking! I made my puddings last weekend (I have to make two so my aunt can have one for herself!) and use Nigella’s recipe which is my favourite as it’s not too heavy. First steaming is 5 hours though!

[@LeComplice]

this was lovely! When I was little i used to flip through Sears Christmas catalogues a thousand times and imagine what I would buy if I was different people. I would always look at the fruit cakes (your Christmas pudding) and I could never place them or understand why they were so expensive. I get it now, it's quite the endeavour to make! xx

[@LaurenWade]

Aww I loved Christmas catalogues! ❤️ I think if it’s a Christmas fruit cake it takes even longer, and you can ‘feed’ it with brandy every few days while it’s storing! Then you add a layer of marzipan and icing, so it’s probably even more effort lol xx

[@TheDuchess1980]

Love your vlogs. Relaxing and cozy. Hugs from Atlanta❤️

[@Liba_Elena]

You can store it for a year??😱 how is it possible? As a non-british, I'm so confused...😅

[@LaurenWade]

Lots of alcohol and dried fruit 😅 traditionally the longer you keep it the better it gets!

[@Liba_Elena]

@@LaurenWade That's just fascinating! I can't think of any czech recipe where longer is better... We like to cook and feast right away.😁

[@Autumn1988]

It’s full of alcohol....

[@rhiannonh3815]

I made my puddings last weekend as well (plural because I ended up with soo much mixture :’)). Was my first time making it too, I think we did a great job!

[@Ma_BaP]

I love xmas traditions, there's something so cosy about it, and this was a great way start off vlogmas. Although, being French, I remember, when I was 12 or so, our English teacher introducing us to the traditional christmas pudding. We were quite erm... surprised to hear there was beef fat in a dessert! Also, the longevity of it felt suspicious. I mean, why would you want to keep something sweet for so long! You'd want to eat it all right away!^^ So, yeah, we were perfect French teenage food snobs!

[@LaurenWade]

😂😂😂 it must be weird if you’re not used to it! Although the fruit & spices etc are obvs in traditional Christmas food across Europe, we seem to be the only ones who wanted it mix it with meat?!?

[@Ma_BaP]

@@LaurenWade well I think there's a lot to say about the Brits wanting to do things differently from mainland Europe 😂 we'll just add that to the list 😂

[@LaurenWade]

@@Ma_BaP 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tuehanhhan5271]

Just love it !

[@MargaretPinard]

Love these traditional recipes, and appreciate someone making them, while we have the time... 🙄😋

[@Autumn1988]

I’ve been looking forward to your Crimbo videos! You’re glowing and looking extra festive :)

[@enjoyyournextchapter]

Great video! Glad to see someone else attempting Christmas Pudding for the first time---my pudding basin is on route, expecting it to arrive any day. My sister uses coconut oil instead of suet, and it turns out beautifully. So that's my plan for my first pudding. Congratulations on your new home, and your little one on the way!!

[@LaurenWade]

Thank you! ☺️😘 ooh coconut oil does sound delicious! I wish they were simpler to make so that we could easily try out different recipes!

[@inkyfingers1045]

What was the black stuff

[@LaurenWade]

The stout or the treacle?

[@helenj8471]

I dont want to worry you Lauren, but when steaming a pudding you are supposed to cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid to keep the steam in. Your pud might not be cooked through. Best to know now and not find out at the christmas dinner table!

[@LaurenWade]

Ah thanks! I dunno, it may not have worked but most recipes I looked at said to tie it with foil so I think there are a number of ways to do it ☺️🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Larissa_KD]

As someone who's not from the UK (I'm Dutch), I'm so confused hahahah, what is this??

[@LaurenWade]

Lol, you don’t have Christmas puddings in the Netherlands??

[@Larissa_KD]

@@LaurenWade No we don't! Never really heard of it haha

[@LaurenWade]

Haha how funny! I had no idea it was so specific to the UK. They eat it in A Christmas Carol if that helps? 😂

[@Magicme79]

I haven’t decided what I’m doing with Christmas prep this year. It’s definitely going to be a bit weird...I’m not even sure we’re seeing anyone. Definitely not travelling to see my family and they’re not visiting us this year.

[@MargaretPinard]

"The Ultimate" recipe 😅good luck!

[@ephrussi9765]

almond slivers are not as fine as you used.

[@cwfcwfcwf]

Long pretty hair, beautiful face, British accent, and you can cook. Wow, do I envy your husband. :)