Can I Make The Ultimate Christmas Pudding Gluten Free?

Our answer

Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is made with plain (all-purpose) flour and breadcrumbs and these can be substituted for gluten-free options. Use a good quality gluten-free bread for the breadcrumbs. For the flour we would suggest using a combination of half plain (all-purpose) gluten-free flour and half ground almonds (almond meal), as the almonds help to add a little extra moisture to the pudding and offset the gluten-free flour's tendancy to absorb more liquid. Check that the baking powder is gluten free (most brands are).

However, you should note that commercially-produced suet is dusted with wheat flour, making it unsuitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy. Instead of using suet, we suggest using 150g (14 tablespoons) of vegetable shortening. Freeze the shortening until firm then grate it coarsely. Freeze again for a few minutes (to firm up the grated shortening) before using.