Families urged to 'stir it up' for Xmas
ULSTER families are being urged by a local chef to get out their baking bowls to start to prepare a festive favourite.
Tomorrow is "Stir-up Sunday", a special day which takes place every year on the last Sunday before the season of Advent.
The name is said to have originally been inspired by a 16th century prayer, but as the years passed, the words of the "Stir-Up" prayer became connected with the stirring-up of Christmas pudding ingredients in readiness for festive celebrations.
Ahead of this year's Stir-up Sunday, the News Letter spoke to Paula McIntyre, who hosts the cookery slot on BBC Radio Ulster's Saturday Magazine programme, about her preparations.
Paula believes nothing signals the beginning of winter time better than a steaming hot Christmas pudding, covered in lashings of brandy sauce.
"While the main part of the Christmas main course is thought to be the turkey, for me the Christmas pudding really has to be the dessert," she said.
"People make chocolate desserts, but as far as I'm concerned, you have to make a Christmas pudding too. The traditional Christmas dinner just doesn't work without it."
The cook and catering teacher added that the pudding preparation process should be a family affair.
"It's such a lovely activity for the family, as it encourages everyone to get involved and come together for the Christmas season."
She added: "It's a tradition for members of the family to all make a wish. You can add trinkets to the pudding too - if you get a coin it means you will die rich."
Apart from the spiritual message involved in making a Christmas pudding this far ahead of time, the advance preparation also helps with the taste of the pudding.
"If you make the pudding now and feed it with rum or brandy until Christmas, it gives more time for the fruit to plump up and the spices to deepen the flavour of the pudding.
"Really, you could make your Christmas pudding for 2010 now. It would have lots of time to mature and the flavour would be just fantastic for this time next year."
Offering another handy tip, Paula said: "You must not wrap the pudding in tin foil though as it can react with the fruits and the lemon juice.
"Really the best thing to use is a Tupperware container."
Those of us watching the pennies ahead of a credit crunch Christmas this year are advised to have a go at making our own pudding, rather than buying a supermarket ready made version.
Paula said: "Pound for pound it's definitely less expensive to make your own, plus it's a lot more satisfying.
"You don't get Stir-up Sunday if you buy your pudding in a supermarket."
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
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Sunny spells
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