The Bro-in-Law Christmas Pudding “Stunt”

Writing about special family recipes and their memories yesterday, got me thinking about a very special family tradition that happens on my side of the family every Christmas.

It first started Christmas 2004. I remember because dad was still alive – we didn’t know then that was to be his last Christmas (April 2005, RIP).

Christmas was “in the Valley” – that’s what we referred to where our middle sister lived – a beautiful lifestyle valley on the Kapiti Coast. All my nieces and nephews were but still schoolkids.

Karen’s First Christmas Pudding Attempt

Christmas lunch was a potluck affair. We were each given our menu items of the meal to contribute. I can’t remember what mine was – either salad or cheese board – because I’m the one who needs to travel, that’s what I get assigned as neither of these can really spoil from 6 hours or so of travel.

Our baby sister made her very first Christmas pudding which we were all excited to see and taste. She’d continued mum’s tradition of adding in silver threepenny pieces and silver sixpences. All of these are returned ready to be washed and recycled again the next year.

It was with great delight and excitement that her Christmas pudding was ceremoniously brought from the boot of her car onto the breakfast bar in the crockpot.

The lid was taken off with great flourish. In my head I had a drum roll going on. We were all excited to see Karen’s labour of love.

The look of shock and horror on her face is still imprinted in my memory – as I’m sure on everyone else’s at the time.

The large size Christmas pudding Karen had made was about a third of its original size. What on earth had happened to make it shrink soooo much?

We all contributed our scientific theories on what had caused the shrinkage. None of us could imagine what had made it shrink so!

Karen meanwhile was still horrified – it was unlikely this small pudding would feed everyone unless we had but one spoonful each.

Not being able to hold their mirth and joke inside for any longer, the boys (my brothers-in-law) ‘fessed up – Karen’s husband had swapped out her full-size beautiful Christmas pudding for a commercially-made small one.

There was nothing wrong with Karen’s first attempt at all. It was a prank – a practical joke played on her by her ever-loving husband!

I wanted that in my life too

I remember thinking at the time – as I stood watching my two sisters with their prank-playing husbands, that I wanted what they had in their lives. Someone with whom to build and share memories with.

Little did I know it was going to happen the following year when I met My Hero. As I write this, that was 20 years’ ago.

My First Christmas Pudding

Christmas 2024 I made my first Christmas Pudding. This year we were with Alan’s family in Stratford, Taranaki on the west of New Zealand’s North Island. Our contribution was dessert.

I used Karen’s recipe. I made our contribution in advance as it was to be part of a meal where “baking” was de rigueur. No pressure or nuffink (sic).

Christmas Puddings are Karen’s Tradition

In my family – the family I grew up in – Christmas puddings are Karen’s thing. It’s a tradition that has come about however traditions are born.

Every year we always reminisce about the prank the boys pulled. I wish My Hero was around at the time so that he’s able to join in on the memories as well.

But for me, part of those memories are me thinking that I wanted what they had. And now I do!

I’m hoping the tradition will continue to the next generation

I’m hoping my niece continues her mum’s tradition in the years to come, one day. She’s already a very skilled baker.

My niece is following in her great grandmother’s footsteps; it’s lovely to see.

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Here’s to family traditions…

Here’s to special family memories…

Here’s to wishes being granted.

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Here’s to SmilingOnTheInside!