A Pudding for Two: Stir-Up Sunday Without the Cauldron

Stir-Up Sunday has a way of making a small kitchen feel even smaller. The traditional recipes read as though they were written for a farmhouse with a range, a scullery and a willing crowd of stirrers. But the ritual itself is not really about volume. It is about setting aside an afternoon, soaking something fruity, and letting the kitchen smell of spice while the rain goes sideways past the window. This year Stir-Up Sunday falls on Sunday 22 November 2026, which gives you a clear run at Christmas.

If you cook for one or two, a great hulking pudding is not much comfort. It sits there, demanding attention, and you end up eating it in slices until Twelfth Night out of pure duty. Better to make a small pudding, or two little ones, and treat the whole thing as a manageable kitchen project rather than a test of endurance. The point is not to recreate your grandmother's cauldron. The point is to have a proper Christmas pudding that fits your life.

A small pudding, not a scaled-down marathon

The recipe below makes one 500ml pudding, enough for two people with leftovers, or two 300ml puddings if you want to give one away. You do not need a dedicated pudding basin if you have a small heatproof bowl that fits inside a saucepan. A 500ml basin is roughly the size of a large mug mixture, so it is not an intimidating quantity.

You will need: 200g mixed dried fruit, 50g candied peel, 50g chopped almonds if you like them, 75g suet or a good alternative, 75g soft brown sugar, 100g fresh breadcrumbs, 50g plain flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, the zest of an orange and a lemon, 1 large egg, and about 50ml stout, milk or orange juice to bring it together. A tablespoon of brandy or rum in the mixture is welcome but not essential.

Soak the dried fruit and peel overnight in the stout, milk or juice. This is the step people skip and then wonder why the pudding tastes dry. You are not trying to drown the fruit, just soften it and let it plump. If you remember at breakfast time, so much the better. If you remember at bedtime, leave it until the next afternoon.

Suet, butter and other quiet swaps

Traditional beef suet gives that unmistakable rich, crumbly texture. Vegetarian suet works perfectly well and is what I use most years. If you would rather not use either, freeze 75g of unsalted butter and grate it into the dry ingredients while it is still very cold. The pudding will be a little less traditional in texture, but it will still be good. Do not use a low-fat spread or a soft margarine; the pudding needs fat that sets and carries the spice.

Mix everything together in a large bowl. This is the part that calls for a wooden spoon and a bit of patience. The mixture should be soft enough to drop from the spoon but not sloppy. If it looks dry, add another splash of liquid. If it looks wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.

Butter the basin generously. Spoon in the mixture, leaving a good 2cm of space at the top. Cut a circle of baking parchment and a circle of foil, pleat them in the middle so they can expand, and tie them over the basin with string. A pleat is not fussiness; it stops the cover from splitting as the pudding rises.

Steaming without specialist kit

Put an upturned saucer or a small metal trivet in the bottom of a deep saucepan. Set the basin on it. Pour boiling water around the basin until it comes about halfway up the sides. Put the lid on and bring to a gentle simmer. You are looking for a soft burble, not a rolling boil that rattles the pan.

Steam a 500ml pudding for about four hours, or two smaller puddings for about three hours. Check the water every 45 minutes or so and top up with boiling water from the kettle. Do not let the pan boil dry. This is the only real hazard, and it is easily avoided if you stay within earshot.

Lift the basin out carefully and let it cool completely. Do not unwrap it while it is hot. Once cool, remove the foil and parchment, wrap the pudding in fresh parchment and then foil, and store it in a cool, dark cupboard.

Feeding it through December

This is the quiet ritual, and it takes about two minutes a week. Unwrap the pudding, spoon over a tablespoon or two of brandy, rum or orange juice, wrap it up again and put it back. Do this once a week until Christmas. You are not trying to make it boozy; you are keeping the surface moist and letting the flavours settle. If you are avoiding alcohol, warmed orange juice with a little spice works nicely. A spoonful of cold tea is another old-fashioned option and gives a gentle, malty note.

On Christmas Day, steam the pudding again for an hour and a half, or until it is hot right through. Turn it out onto a warm plate, warm a little brandy in a metal ladle, light it carefully away from your face and the extractor fan, and carry it to the table while it is still blue and flickering. If you are cooking for two, this small pudding will feel generous without becoming a chore. Wrap the leftovers in foil and reheat slices in a buttered pan the next morning. A spoonful of cold pudding with a cup of tea is one of the better perks of a small kitchen at Christmas.