Ultimate Christmas Pudding in a Slow Cooker

Our answer

It is possible to cook Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from Christmas and on the Nigella website) in a slow cooker (crockpot). Many slow cooker manufacturers have instructions for Christmas puddings in their handbooks and so we would suggest seeing if they have any guidelines, as cookers can vary. We would mention that Nigella's Christmas pudding is on the large side so you may need to increase the timings.

The Ultimate Christmas Pudding is likely to need around 13 hours cooking on "high" setting of the slow cooker. If possible preheat the slow cooker and then add the pudding and enough hot water from a just boiled kettle to come half way up the side of the pudding basin. Check the pudding from time to time, ideally there should be the odd wisp of steam coming from the water in the slow cooker and you may need to top up the water in the slow cooker about half way through the cooking time. Cool and store the pudding as directed in the recipe. To reheat the pudding we would prefer to use the 3 hour steaming method on Christmas Day. Again your slow cooker handbook may have guidelines for reheating a pudding. Otherwise we would suggest reheating the pudding, using the same method as above, for 5 hours (and it won't matter if it stays in the slow cooker for longer). Check the pudding is piping hot all the way through before serving.

If you are using a plastic pudding basin then it should be fine just sitting in the slow cooker. However if you prefer you can put a folded up tea towel in the bottom of the slow cooker and sit the basin on the tea towel.