Where's the "pud" ????Okay, you missed "Stir It Up" Sunday, but there's still time to make your Christmas pudding! Of course, maybe you made it last year, for consumption this year, but probably you didn't, and maybe, just maybe, that's too long to keep it.
Christmas pudding (a.k.a. plum pudding) is an ancient but much maligned delicacy. Its origins go back to the 15th century and perhaps even to Roman times. In times gone by, to preserve animal feed (which you might want to eat yourself), excess cattle were slaughtered in the fall. Meats not immediately consumed were cooked with fruits into pies for preservation (i.e., mincemeat), at least into the beginning of winter. This resulted in LOTS of pies, just in time for Christmas. Prunes were incorporated into the mixture, hence the notion of plum pudding. At some point there was a divergence of the savory and the sweet. Mince pies were still made, but new techniques were more frequently used to preserve meats. At the same time, the sweet pudding got sweeter, and the plum pudding we now know eventually took shape in Victorian England.
I have a theory or two about why it has a bad reputation. First, it should be taken in small doses, not the larger portions we are accustomed to for dessert. A little goes a VERY long way. Second, it traditionally relies upon suet as the shortening used. This doubtless, and very reasonably, resulted from its meat pie origin.
"What," some might ask, "is suet?" Most of us were told about suet, for some strange reason, in grammar school. (I think it had something to do with explaining "pemmican." We all know what pemmican is, LOL.) Anyway, suet is raw beef or mutton fat - hard fat found around the loin and kidneys. For many, this is not appetizing. Nevertheless, it can be obtained easily from butchers. Those who wish to eat it are advised to tell the butcher it will be used in cooking, not to feed birds :=P
My advice is: USE BUTTER!!! And I don't mean margarine. Some would say this makes it an Irish plum pudding. To them I say, yeah!!!
Ingredients
* Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
* Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
* 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 1 cup sultanas
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 heaped tablespoon chopped almonds
* 1 heaped tablespoon chopped glacé cherries
* 1 tablespoon chopped mixed glacé peel
* ½ cup soft, dark brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons mixed spice (equal parts cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg,
and ginger - maybe some allspice)
* 3 tablespoons brandy
* 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
* 1 cup flour
* 1¼ teaspoons baking powder (added to flour)
* pinch salt (added to flour)
* 2 eggs, beaten together
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 4 oz (1 stick) butter
Preparation
If you ever enjoyed a plum pudding from Marshall Field's (a now defunct Chicago institution), you doubtless have one or more lovely madder or blue ceramic pudding bowls. If not, any pudding bowl will do. A tight lid is desirable if available. You will grease the bowl with butter before adding the pudding.
Mix together the first 11 ingredients, including the brandy, in a large bowl. Cover and leave for several hours or overnight.
Combine the breadcrumbs with the fruit mix. Blend the flour, eggs, salt and butter together, add it to the fruit mix and stir well. If the mixture seems dry add a teaspoon or two of milk.
Put the mixture into the pudding bowl and cover tightly using the lid or several layers of wax paper held in place with string. Place the bowl in a saucepan large enough to accommodate it, and add water to about two thirds up the side of the pudding bowl. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cover the saucepan. Simmer like this for about 6 hours. You will probably need to add water.
The cooked pudding will keep indefinitely. When it is needed, steam it for about 2 hours in the bowl. Flambé with brandy, and serve with hard sauce.
You can buy hard sauce in a jar, or you can make your own::
* ¼ teaspoon vanilla
* 1 tablespoon half-and-half
* 2 tablespoon brandy
* ¼ cup unsalted butter
* ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy and has turned pale in color, about 5 minutes.
Add the sugar a little at a time, stirring continuously, until incorporated.
Add the brandy, half-and-half and vanilla, stirring continuously until well blended (the sauce should be smooth).
Cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve at room temperature.
To flambé, warm a small amount of brandy slightly, then light it and pour it over the pudding when you bring it out. This is done to create an impressive visual presentation and introduce drama into the finale of the meal. But not too much. Unless you're a terrorist or otherwise want to blow your home to smithereens, DO NOT use that 150 proof rum. Never use overproof liquors of any kind in cooking or near an open flame. And don't drink them undiluted as they can be harmful to the human body.
