By: Eydie Padfield

​My grandparents do not have the loud kind of Christmas. They do not hang neon lights or serve too-sweet cookies. Their tree is beautiful in a simple sort of way, and their presents are neatly wrapped with the corners tucked in. The food does not fill their massive dining table but it fills our plates and warms our insides.  When our plates are empty, Granpapa clears his throat. I clutch my glass of sparkling juice and try my best to listen to the speech.  He talks about a small town in England, and the woman who grew up there. He smiles across the table at her and says how thankful he is that she left, that she made the journey here. She smiles, we raise our drinks, and the room is filled with the ringing of clinking glasses.  My Granny rises from the table and heads into the kitchen. The bustle is anticipatory as the parents clear the table, a subtle excitement for what’s to come . ​​
My legs swing under the table, sick of sitting, full of turkey and ready to go with my cousins for the few minutes of playing we have left. Someone flicks the lights off and the large wood walled room is engulfed in darkness.  Granny appears in the doorway. In her hands is dessert, a brown pudding engulfed in blue flames. My eyes are wide as I watch her glide her way to the head of the table, my restlessness quickly forgotten. She is lit by the fire, her silver hair becoming fine spun strands of moonlight, her brown eyes dancing like twin flames. I think for a moment that she could be magic, and then the plate hits the table and the fire dies.  Delicate china plates make their way around the table and my smile is bright when my slice finally reaches me. It looks less exciting now than when it is on fire. Now, it is a simple spongy brown cake. My first bite is equally disappointing, bitter and sour and chewy all at the same time. I wrinkle my nose, all the adults are smiling and scraping the last scraps off their plates. I catch my cousin's eye, her face is matching mine and we silently agree. Granny’s tradition does not taste good and we will never tell her. The table is cleared, hugs are exchanged, we all thank Granny for cooking.
Ingredients 
150 grams dried currants
150 grams sultanas 
150 grams roughly chopped prunes 
175 milliliters pedro ximenez sherry
100 grams fresh bread crumbs
150 grams suet
150 grams dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs 
1 medium cooking apple (peeled and grated) 
2 tablespoons honey
125 mililitres vodka (to flame pudding)

Supplies
Two large mixing bowls
Large saucepan 
Large heatproof bowl 
Plate/lid to cover heatproof bowl 
A sheet of tin foil
Two elastic bands
Small sauce pan 

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​Directions
  1. Put dried fruit and sherry in a bowl, cover and leave overnight to let the flavors infuse. 
  2. The next morning, put a large pan of water to boil. Butter a large heatproof bowl, being sure to grease the lid as well (you can use a plate or pot lid) 
  3. Combine all remaining pudding ingredients (except the vodka) stirring with your favourite wooden spoon. 
  4. Add steeped fruits, adding every drop of sherry left in the bowl. 
  5. Scrape and press the mixture into the prepared pudding bowl, put on the lid and then wrap in foil, securing with elastic bands. 
  6. Place the bowl in simmering water (it should reach halfway up the bowl). Steam for five hours checking occasionally to make sure water hasn’t boiled away (if it has, boil a kettle and add the water around the edges).
  7. Remove the pudding from the water and set it somewhere out of the way. Let it sit until Christmas Day (it can sit for however long you’d like, from overnight to up to 2 years when properly stored; the longer it’s stored, the stronger the flavour will be).
  8. On Christmas Day, rewrap foil and steam again, this time for 3 hours.
  9. To serve, remove from water, put the lid on top of the bowl and flip it over.
  10. Heat the vodka in a small pan, turn off the heat the minute it’s hot but before it boils ( you don’t want the vodka to burn away). Strike a match, stand back and light the pan of vodka and take it as fast as you safely can to your guests. Serve on its own, with lemon sauce, brandy butter, or eggnog ice cream.