5 weeks
Persoanlly, I think brandy is better. But it does vary and depend on the recipe.
Apples
Noyau
Plums
Ratafia
with enough alcohol, you can store Christmas pud for as long as you like in a cold cupboard or larder. just make sure that when you make the pud you keep feeding with brandy so the fruit is preserved.
Brandies are typically drunk at 38F (21C) or room temperature, so a brandy warmer warming the brandy to this or to a bit lower temperature is suitable. When drinking the brandy, gentle warming further occurs when the glass snifter is cupped in your hand. Excessive warming of the brandy causes the alcohol to evaporate too quickly, causing its fruit aromas to be too overpowering.
For a Christmas fruit basket, winter fruit are recommended. A basket is filled with shredded, coloured paper with the fruit placed on top. The basket is then enclosed with plastic gift wrapping and tied with ribbons.
Brandy can be made from any fruit. Classically, grapes are used in all Cognac, Armagnac and most other brandies. Calvados is made from apples.
This is the Sundy before Advent Sunday, and is traditionally the day on which, in the UK, Christmas puddings are made (for those in the USA - Christmas pudding is a rich fruit cake full of nuts, fruit and so on, eaten with cream or brandy butter on Christmas Day ). The 'stir up' refers to stirring the puddings (making a wish too) before cooking so that after cooking they have enough time to mature before Christmas day. The origin of 'stir up' actually comes from the Collect (a special prayer) for that particular Sunday in the Church of England Book of Common Prayer- the Sunday before Advent which says:- "Stir up we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people, That they, plenteously beinging forth the fruit of good works, May of thee be plenteously rewarded. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen."
Cheap Christmas fruit baskets are relatively simple to make. To do so, one should by a sizable wicker basket, and decorate it with various Christmas colored ribbons and decorations.
most liquers are made with fruit, depending on the product as some are merely flavoured Napoleon- peach brandy st germain- elderflower chambord- blackcurrant