Plum Pudding Recipe

Save this traditional English plum pudding for very special occasions, like Christmas or New Years... Be warned, however, this recipe takes up to a month to prepare, and it contains alcohol (perhaps not appropriate for young children). But because it's such a classic, I've included anyway... No pudding recipe section would quite be complete without it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups dried currants

  • 2 cups seedless raisins

  • 2 cups white raisins

  • 3/4 cups finely chopped candied mixed fruit peel

  • 3/4 cup finely chopped candied cherries

  • 1 cup blanched slivered almonds

  • 1 medium-sized tart cooking apple, peeled,

    •          quartered, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, scraped and coarsely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

  • 1/2 pound finely chopped Beef Suet

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups fresh soft crumbs, made from white
             bread
    • pulverized in a blender
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

  • 1 teaspoon allspice

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 6 eggs

  • 1 cup brandy

  • 1/3 cup orange juice

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice



    • Directions - Plum Pudding Recipe:

    In a large deep bowl, combine the currants, seedless raisins, white raisins, candied fruit peel, cherries, almonds, apple, carrot, orange and lemon peel, and beef suet. Toss them with a spoon or your hands until well mixed. Stir in the flour, bread crumbs, brown sugar, allspice, and salt, mixing well.

    In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Stir the brandy, and the orange and lemon juices. Beat until well-blended.

    Pour this mixture over the fruit-flour blend. Knead vigorously with both hands, then beat with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well blended. Drape a dampened kitchen towel over the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

    12 hours later boil a large pot of water, and set aside.

    Spoon the refrigerated mixture into four 1-quart pudding molds, filling them within 2 inches of their tops. Cover each mold with a strip of buttered foil, pressing the foil edges down securely. Allow little or no foil to overhang the sides of the molds, and cover each foil top with an inverted plate. Wrap each mold completely in a dish towel. Tie each towel-covered mold securely with cooking rope. Make sure you tie them in a Christmas-ribbon fashion, so that the towel is tightly secured around the mold.

    Arrange a rack or a folded dish towel in the bottom of a large pot and set the molds on top. Pour in enough boiling water to come about three fourths of the way up the sides of the molds. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Then cover the pot tightly, reduce the heat to its lowest point and steam puddings for 8 hours. As the water in the steamer boils away, replenish it with additional boiling water.

    After about 8 hours, when the plum puddings are done, remove them from the water and let them cool to room temperture. Then remove the towels and foil. Recover the puddings with fresh foil and refrigerate for 3 weeks. Puddings will become softer, darker, and more flavorful with age.

    To serve, place the mold in a pot and pour in enough boiling water to come about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the mold. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and steam for 2 hours. Run a knife around the inside edges of the mold and place an inverted serving plate over it. Grasping the mold and plate firmly together, turn them over. The pudding should slide out easily.

    Plum pudding is traditionally accompanied by Cumberland Rum Butter or Brandy Butter .

    If you would like to set the plum pudding alight before you serve it, simply warm 1/2 cup of brandy in a small saucepan over low heat, ignite it with a match inside the saucepan, and pour it flaming over the plated pudding!

    Recipe yields four 1-quart plum puddings.