What is the traditional Christmas dessert in the UK, often flambéed with brandy?

What is the traditional Christmas dessert in the UK, often flambéed with brandy? Christmas pudding is the answer.

Christmas pudding is a dense steamed dessert made with dried fruit, breadcrumbs or flour, sugar, suet, spices, and often brandy or another liquid. It is traditionally served as part of a British Christmas dinner, sometimes with brandy butter, cream, custard, or ice cream.

Its history reaches back to medieval English boiled puddings, but the recognizable Christmas pudding emerged mainly in the 17th century and later. Eliza Acton’s 1845 cookbook is credited with one of the first recipes specifically called “Christmas Pudding,” while Charles Dickens helped cement its cultural image in A Christmas Carol.

The pudding may be reheated, covered with brandy, and set alight before being carried to the table. “Plum pudding” is an older name: “plum” historically referred to raisins and other dried fruits, not necessarily fresh plums. Mince pies and trifle are also British festive desserts, but they are different dishes.