Traditional Plumb pudding
This is a recipe for tradition al plumb pudding, a Christmas
classic. You can make this on the day or do it weeks in advance letting you
have time to enjoy the day and get out of the kitchen.
The recipe is for a lot; it makes about 2 x 1.2 litre/2 pint
puddings so if you are not having a big part round for dinner then cut all
the measurements by half. You will need the following ingredients
900g/2lb mixed dried fruits, such as figs, apricots,
cherries, raisins, dates or sultanas
150ml/5fl oz of spirit (rum, brandy or whisky)
1 large orange, zest and juice
225g/8oz butter, softened,
225g/8oz dark brown sugar
4 large free-range eggs,
110g/4oz self-raising flour
110g/4oz breadcrumbs
85g/3oz chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or pecans)
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
Get your dried fruit in a large bowl. If there are any
large pieces of apricot or fig, cut them up so all about the same size. Pour
over the spirit , grate the zest of the orange and add to the bowl. Then add
the juice of the orange. Mix the fruit and juice together well. Cover and leave
in a cool place overnight.
The next day lightly butter two 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding
basins. Cut a disc of parchment paper and place in the bottom of each basin.
This will stop it from sticking, and protect the top as you turn it out.
Now get a large mixing bowl and add
your sugar and butter and cream them together until they change colure and are
full creamed together. Take another bowl and crack your eggs into that and
whisk them up and slowly a little at a time add them to the sugar and butter
mix. If it looks like it is starting to separate add a little of the flour just
to bind it together.
Now add the rest of the flour through
a sieve slowly once more so that every thing gets mixed together into
a smooth mixture. Then add the bread crumbs, fruits that have been soaking over
night, nuts and the spices. Mix it all together so that everything is bound
together.
Take the mix and spoon it into your two pudding basins and
cover with a double piece of parchment paper and a small piece of tin foil over
that and tie up with string.
Now steam them for about four hours or so and you are ready
to serve them. Or if you do not want to you should be able to keep them in a
cool place for two or more months. Just steam for about another hour so that it
is fully warmed.
Serve with custard, rum, brandy, whisky sauce, ice
cream ,or just as it is.
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