Quick Christmas Pudding Recipe- Microwave Pudding

Christmas puddings are the most traditional desserts for holiday season. No Christmas party gets complete without serving special pudding made for the special Christmas day! In all the haste and multiple works pending for Christmas celebrations, the task of making a quick pudding without much hassles can't be exaggerated. You are about to learn a quick Christmas Pudding Recipe here- the Microwave pudding which is also the 'so traditional' Christmas pudding recipe made in the modern microwave oven!

Quick Microwave Christmas Pudding Recipe!

This is a classic Christmas Pudding recipe made with some traditional ingredients used in British cooking. However, alternatives to many ingredients have also been mentioned so that other people who are unable to get (or not willing to use) certain ingredients can also make this quick Christmas pudding in their microwave ovens. Also, the measurements have been given in a variety of standards (ounces and pints converted to equal cup measurements) for easy following of the pudding recipe!

Ingredients for Making Microwave Pudding

• Plain Flour - 2 ounces (about one-fourth cup)
• Nutmeg - Half tsp
• Cinnamon - Half tsp
• Cloves (powdered) - Half tsp
• White breadcrumbs – 3 ounces (a little more than ¼ cup but not even half cup)
• Dark brown sugar (soft) - 4 ounces (half a cup)
• Frozen unsalted butter (grated while frozen, people in UK can use shredded suet which is the original thing to use in a Christmas pudding) - 4 ounces (half a cup)
• Sultanas (the seedless raisins) - 6 ounces (¾ cup)
• Currants (seedless variety of grape) - 5 ounces (more than half cup but less than ¾ cup)
• Peel of any citrus fruit (chopped coarsely) - 1 ounce (less than ¼ cup)
• Half lemon- grate the rind and keep the juice aside
• Eggs - Two
• Treacle ( the uncrystallized syrup made during the refining of sugar- you can also use its alternatives like dark corn syrup, honey, agave nectar, sorghum syrup etc.)- Two table spoons
• Golden syrup (the pale treacle, alternatively you can use light corn syrup mixed with molasses in a 2 to 1 ratio) - One tablespoon
• Stout (dark beer brewed with roasted malt or barley)- 1/8 pint or about 3.5 cups
• Brandy - Two tablespoons

How to Make Quick Microwave Christmas Pudding – The Steps!

How to Plan for Christmas Day Dinner Menu?

If you are throwing a Christmas party, no matter however small gathering it is going to be, you need to have a perfect plan for Christmas day dinner menu! And this is because you want to please your guests with mouthwatering food that they would remember till next Christmas. You are a very good cook but then you need to organize and plan for all- what Christmas dinner recipes are you going to make? What all ingredients and materials would you need for making these Christmas dishes? How much time would each of the recipe take to be prepared and so on. If your Christmas dinner menu is elaborate and if you think you can prepare it in a single day- you might be making a wrong prediction! You must, therefore spread out your work of preparing Christmas day dishes over a few days or weeks- depending upon your Christmas menu so that you are well prepared ahead of time and can enjoy the big day yourself too! Here are some tips and tricks on how to organize and plan for Christmas day dinner menu!

Decide the Recipes for Christmas Dinner!

First and the foremost work is to decide what recipes you are going to make for Christmas Dinner. Its better to do this planning well before time- about at least two weeks ahead of Christmas day! Follow these tips while you decide on the recipes for Christmas dinner!

Decide the Christmas dinner menu. For this, you can shortlist two to four menus depending upon your choice and preferences of your family and guests. Ideally your Christmas dinner menu should include meat, a carbohydrate dish, a starch dish, and a vegetarian dish- but there is no hard and fast rule for this.

Mix the traditional and old dishes for Christmas menu. This is important because you won't like t o test all new dishes and end up nobody liking even one. New recipes might fail due to several reasons like non compatibility with your or guests' taste buds, difficulty in following the exact recipe method while actually doing the things and so on. So, when you have some time tested dishes that you have made many a times earlier (and that are liked by all) along with new experimental dishes, you can always be confident that one or the other would definitely please your guests.

Know the ingredients and how to make the selected recipe. If you are trying something new for Christmas recipe that you haven't made earlier, its better to read the recipe the same time when you decide the menu. This way you will come to know the ingredients you would need as well as gage the convenience as per your capabilities regarding the preparation of the dishes. Moreover, you have ample time to collect the ingredients beforehand.

Collect ingredients for your decided recipes for Christmas day dinner. The written recipe you have in your hand might indicate ingredients for only 4-6 persons or even 2 persons whereas you might have, say 10 persons coming for Christmas party at your home. You should write down the changed proportions of the ingredients you need to buy for making your dishes.

Make Lists- The Christmas Menu Planner

Wherever, there is discussion for organizing and planning, making lists is the best and the most essential part of the process- including Christmas meals menu. So, prepare your Christmas menu planner for the big day to keep yourself hassle free and your guests pleased with your organized efforts!

Last Minute Tips for Thanksgiving Feast!

Thanksgiving Feast!

Thanksgiving for me is the beginning of Holidays- the first step towards indulging into the Christmas celebrations! Traditionally you might be celebrating the harvest and expressing gratitude to God and Nature for giving you what is your today, categorically its the time to feast- eat to your heartfelt levels!And make your loved ones eat and treat what they relish. If you are still not prepared for the big Thanksgiving feast, here are some quick fix remedies for you to follow and make merry with your family and friends!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Menu!

True, its the time when people would eat more than usual but then people do have limits when it comes to their capacity to eat. If you haven't decided yet and prepared for the Thanksgiving menu, let it be simple- Choose what people like to eat when its a FEAST and what they would rather not bother about

You can omit having

Appetizers- No one really like to have them on Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie- If you know that no one in your invited guests list is “so traditional”- you can dare to keep it out of your Thanksgiving menu.

You can prepare less of

Side dishes- If you don't want to compromise on numbers then visit specialty food stores to get fresh, prepared foods! Remember, this has to be quick fix remedy!

You can plan the main dish cleverly

You don't have much time with you to prepare elaborate and time consuming recipes. Select such dishes that make use of convenient products readily available in the supermarket and those that don't take much time to get prepared to be used in your dishes.

Clever Garnishing of Thanksgiving Food!

Its already Wednesday and you don't have the time to prepare anything for the big Thursday! What you do then- just bring ready made store products and dress up them with smart garnishing to give your guests the feel of homemade food. Here are some tips for the same.

How Do I Loose Pounds Before Christmas?

If this is the question that your mind is constantly occupied with, here is a diet plan as well as a lifestyle plan (a temporary one though) to be followed till Christmas. If you can follow it after Christmas too, that will be a great Christmas gift to you from yourself! Lets start with the plan for loosing pounds before Christmas!

Christmas Cookies Recipes- Yum & Easy to Bake!

Christmas Cookies

Holidays are for fun and good food is one of the main ingredients for fun and joyous holidays. So, you’ve been planning for making Christmas cookies for a while now and are looking for some easy to bake Christmas cookies recipes! Here they are- some really easy to bake and yummy holiday cookies recipes for you. Read these Christmas cookies recipes with pictures and bake them at home for a delightful holiday season!

Christmas Cookies Recipe # 1- Peanut Butter Cookies

Although common yet delicious as ever- peanut butter cookies are meant for all special (as well as common occasions). This is the most easy Christmas cookies recipe.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies

• Peanut butter- ½ cup
• Butter- ½ cup
• Granulated sugar- ½ cup
• Egg- 1
• Vanilla- ½ teaspoon
• Baking soda- ½ teaspoon
• Salt- ¼ teaspoon
• All-purpose flour- 1 ¼ cups
• Makes- 3 dozen cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

• Mix peanut butter and butter in a bowl.
• Add sugar, egg and vanilla to the butters and beat for about a minute.
• Add all the remaining ingredients gradually to the prepared mixture. Mix for about a minute.
• Roll dough into one inch balls.
• Place the prepared cookie balls on an ungreased baking sheet. Place them at least 2 inches apart from each other.
• Press flat with a fork in a criss-cross pattern to ¼-inch thickness.
• Now bake cookies at 375◦F until they turn golden brown. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the peanut butter cookies from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.

Christmas Cookies Recipe # 2- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

The combination of delicious cranberry and healthy oatmeal can turn out to be the most special Christmas cookies. Try making this easy to bake Holiday cookies!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients for Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

• Oats (rolled) - 3 cups
• Cranberries (dried) - 1 cup
• Butter- 1 cup
• Sugar- both brown and white- 1 cup
• Eggs- 2
• Vanilla extract- 2 tsp
• All purpose flour- 2 cups
• Baking soda- 1 tsp
• Cinnamon -finely ground- 1 tsp

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

• Mix all the ingredients to make butter mixture - butter, brown sugar and white sugar thoroughly in a bowl.
• Mix the egg beat and stir with the vanilla extract to make egg mixture.
• Add the all purpose flour with baking soda and cinnamon, butter mixture, egg mixture, oats and cranberries. Mix well.
• Take ungreased sheets of a cookie pan. Spread a spoonful of prepared cookies mixture in a circular way or any Xmas pattern on sheets.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F
• Now bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven until the cookies turn golden brown.

Christmas Cookies Recipe # 3- Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Without chocolates no festival gets complete! So why leave chocolate cookies recipe for this Christmas behind! Lets know how to make yum chocolate chips cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies

• All-purpose flour- 2 ¼ cups
• Baking soda- 1 teaspoon
• Salt- 1 teaspoon
• Softened butter- 1 cup
• Granulated sugar- ¾ cups
• Packed brown sugar- ¾ cups
• Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
• Eggs- 2
• Chocolate chips- 2 cups
• Chopped nuts- 1 cup
• Makes- 5 dozen cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

• Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in another mixer bowl until it turns creamy. Add an egg, beat well. Add the other egg and again beat.
• Now beat in flour mixture gradually. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Take ungreased baking sheets and drop rounded tablespoons of mixture onto them.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies turn golden brown.
• Let them cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then move to wire rack.

Christmas Cookies Recipe # 4- Jam Filled Cookies Recipe

Jam is already so yum and when used to make Christmas cookies, they’ll win over all the children at home and your parties. So, try these jam cookies with ground almonds, butter, and almond extract, filled with strawberry or other jam.

Jam Filled Cookies

Ingredients for Jam Filled Cookies

• Blanched almonds, ground- 4 ounces
• All-purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups
• Softened butter- 3/4 cups
• Almond extract- 1/2 teaspoon
• Slt- 1/8 teaspoon
• Egg- 1
• Powdered sugar- 1 cup
• Lemon juice
• Strawberry preserves or other jam of choice- 3 to 4 tablespoons
• Makes 20 cookies.

Jam Filled Cookies Recipe

• Mix ground almonds, flour, butter, almond extract, salt, egg, and ½ cup powdered sugar and beat ingredients at low speed of electric hand-held mixer until well blended.
• Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at 2 to 3 hours.
• Lightly flour a surface and roll out half of the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Let the remaining half of dough be refrigerated.
• Cut rolled out dough lengthwise into 3 strips and cut each strip crosswise into 6 equal rectangles. Doing this will give you 18 rectangles.
• Take a 1/2 to 3/4-inch round cutter. Cut out a circle in center of half of the rectangles. Take greased baking sheets and move cookies on them, leaving about 1/2-inch gap between cookies.
• Bake the cookies in an oven at 375degrees for 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Repeat the process with remaining cookie dough and the trimmings.
• Now take a small bowl and blend lemon juice with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, stirring until smooth.
• Spread a thin layer of this icing on cookies without the round cut-out centers.
• Top each iced cookie with a cookie rectangle with cut-out center.
• Fill center cut-out with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
• Store the jam filled cookies in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days.