Sophie Denise: Stir Up Sunday: The Alternatives

Happy Stir Up Sunday! I was only made aware of this tradition just over a week ago and am fully (sort of) jumping on the bandwagon. For those of you that don't know Stir Up Sunday is a custom that dates back to Victorian times when a family would gather on the last Sunday before advent to prepare their Christmas pudding.

Christmas pudding should be made over a month before Christmas so all the impossibly sweet and rich flavours have plenty of time to develop. The ingredients should be stirred from east to west (clockwise) in honour of the Three Wise Men and each family member should take their turn to stir it whilst making a secret wish and chanting the rhyme:

"Stir up, we beseech thee, the pudding in the pot,

And when we get home we'll eat the lot"

Now if, like me, you aren't a fan of Christmas pudding you can still don that apron, get out the kitchen scales and create your own pièce de résistance for the big day. I've turned to pinterest and picked out the best alternatives to Christmas pudding.