Christmas Pudding
By Cat, Jan 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
- See also: 1. Puddings & Frozen Desserts Menu; 2. Holiday Recipes; 3. Dessert Sauces Menu; 4. Cranberry Keeping Cake; 4. Steamed Puddings (About)
- Other Sites: 1. Julia Child’s Plum Pudding (2)
- Includes: 1. Plum Pudding I; 2. Plum Pudding II
Traditionally, this wonderfully sweet and rich pudding is made at the beginning of Advent (4 weeks before Christmas), and then used for Christmas of the following year (13 month mellowing period). Of course you can make it right before serving, but it truly mellows and improves with age. Make it at least 1 week ahead.
It is made with a dried and candied fruit mixture
Versions and Alternatives
The first version is basic and traditional.
Both the first and second versions use suet (raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys, and is commonly used to make lard or tallow). rather than lard or butter.
The second recipe is much more elaborate than the first. The fruit mixture must be made 4 days before the day you steam the pudding.
A very similar, but slightly simpler, recipe to Plum Pudding II is from Julia Child’s book, The Way to Cook (3). She uses butter instead of suet.
No matter which version you use, plum pudding is much much better than the traditional heavy fruitcake. But if you want to make something similar, that does not use candied fruits, check out Cranberry Keeping Cake, made with fresh or frozen cranberries.
Plum Pudding I
This recipe is adapted from Joy of Eating Natural Foods, by Agnes Toms, and makes about 8 servings. Feel free to experiment with the fruit and spice mix. This is a fairly simple and old-fashioned recipe that can be made the day it is to be served, or a day ahead. Serve with hard sauce or cognac/brandy sauce.
Have your butcher run the suet through a meat grinder to as fine a grind as possible, then further chop it at home. Suet is getting harder and harder to find. In a pinch you could use non-hydrogenated lard (freshly rendered is best).
If you don’t have, or don’t want to use, sprouted grain flour, you can substitute whole wheat flour, but I highly recommend soaking the flour in the sour milk overnight before making this pudding. In this case, dredge fruits in only 1/4 cup unbleached white flour, and soak 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.
Refer to Steamed Puddings (About) for more information on equipment and process.
I first made this recipe in about 1975, my first attempt at steaming. I used 2 cups unbleached flour for that batch. It was well received by my friends. I’ve not made it since, because I discovered Cranberry Keeping Cake.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- Fruit:
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup currants
- 1 cup dates (chopped)
- ½ cup dried figs, chopped
- ½ cup dried citron, chopped fine
- Batter:
- 1 ¾ – 2 cups sprouted wheat or spelt flour *
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
- 1 cup sour milk, buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 1 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 cup suet, ground or chopped fine
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- wooden spoon
- pudding mold (or homemade from a steel coffee can)
- steamer, Dutch oven, or roasting pan
- trivet or rack (to fit inside the Dutch oven or roasting pan)
* NOTE on flour: If you cannot find sprouted grain flour, you can make your own, but you have to start that well in advance (3 – 4 days to sprout the groats, then 1 day to dry and grind them).
You can substitute whole grain flour for sprouted grain flour, but I highly recommend soaking the whole grain flour in the buttermilk or yogurt overnight before making this pudding. In this case, dredge fruits in 1/4 cup unbleached white flour, and soak 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. Refer to Soaking Flour for details on this process.
Method:
- Place empty coffee can or pudding mold in steamer or water bath container, and add water to the steamer, to fill a little more than halfway up the sides of the mold. Remove mold and set steamer over moderate heat. (This step is just to ensure you have enough water in the steamer for your mold).
- Butter or grease the coffee can or pudding mold.
- Dredge fruits in 1 cup of the flour * in large bowl.
- Sift ¾ cup flour * with baking soda, spices and salt into large bowl. Add sour milk and molasses; stir lightly, then work in ground suet.
- Add dredged fruits (with dredging flour), nuts, and enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Pour into greased coffee can or pudding mold, filling about ⅔ full, and secure lid in place.
- Set covered mold into simmering water bath. Cover steamer/pot with lid. Adjust water level if necessary–should be about half way up the side of the mold,
- Steam 2 ¾ hours and check pudding for doneness. Steam longer if necessary. It should require about 3 hours in the bath.
- See Serving Suggestions, below.
Plum Pudding II
I have not tested this recipe.
This very elaborate recipe is adapted from James Beard’s* recipe in House and Garden magazine, December 1963 (available on Epicurious (2)). It is similar to Julia Child’s recipe; but she uses butter and Beard’s recipe uses suet. Both use bread crumbs for the base, rather than flour.
The fruit mixture is made 4 days ahead, to allow the fruit to absorb the cognac or brandy, and begin to ferment. This pudding improves upon being stored in a cool place for 4 weeks, or a year or more.
For the bread crumbs, use homemade bread made with half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour. If the bread is not stale, dry the slices in a low oven. I use rusk, which I make every year at holiday time, and it keeps well for a year or more in a cool, dry pantry. Grind coarsely with a medium blade.
Have your butcher run the suet through a meat grinder to as fine a grind as possible, then further chop it at home. Suet is getting harder and harder to find. In a pinch you could use non-hydrogenated lard (freshly rendered is best).
Refer to Steamed Puddings (About) for more information on equipment and process.
This recipe makes two or more steamed puddings: One for your family, and the other(s) to give away. It is very sweet and rich; only a very small serving is needed for each person. Serve with hard sauce, cognac/brandy sauce, or Zabaione sauce (Julia’s preference).
* Side note about James Beard: He was born in Portland OR and at one time lived in a house a half-block from my house on NW Kearney St. But this was before I moved to Portland.
Ingredients for Fruit Mixture:
- Fruit & spices:
- 1 pound dark (Sultana) raisins
- 1 pound golden raisins
- ½ pound Zante currants
- 1 cup dried citron, chopped fine
- 1 cup chopped candied peel (orange or lemon)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground mace
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pound suet, ground or chopped powdery fine
- 1 ¼ cups cognac, brandy or bourbon
- Pudding:
- 1 ¼ pounds fresh bread crumbs (approx)
- 1 cup scalded milk
- 1 cup sherry or port
- 12 eggs, well beaten
- ¾ cup Rapadura or Sucanat sugar (or ¼ cup maple syrup and¼ tsp stevia extract powder)
- 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
- Cognac
- Equipment:
- 2 large bowls, or 1 large bowl and several jars.
- wooden spoon
- pudding mold (or homemade from a steel coffee can)
- steamer, Dutch oven, or roasting pan
- trivet or rack (to fit inside the Dutch oven or roasting pan)
- foil
Method:
- 4 days ahead: Blend fruits, citron, peel, spices and suet and place in a bowl or jar(s). Add ¼ cup cognac, brandy or bourbon; cover tightly and refrigerate for 4 days, adding ¼ cup additional cognac/brandy each day.
- Day of steaming: Soak bread crumbs in milk and sherry or port, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. If using stevia, add it to this mixture and let rest for a few minutes.
- Combine well-beaten eggs and sugar or maple syrup. Blend with the fruit mixture, then stir in the crumb mixture. Add salt and mix thoroughly.
- Pour pudding into buttered bowls or tins, filling them about ⅔ full. Cover with lid or foil and latch or tie it firmly.
- Place in warm water bath and steam for 6 – 7 hours. Uncover and place in a 250°F oven for 30 minutes.
- Add a dash of cognac to each pudding; cover again with foil and keep in a cool place 4 weeks to over a year.
- To use, steam again for 2 – 3 hours, and unmold. Sprinkle with sugar; add heated cognac. Ignite and bring to the table.
Serving Suggestions, both versions
Serve with hard sauce made with cognac or brandy, or with Zabaione sauce.
References:
- Joy of Eating Natural Foods, by Agnes Toms
- House and Gardens 1963 recipe: epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/20010
- Julia Child’s Plum Pudding from her book, The Way to Cook (see Amazon: amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394532643/wchstv8theabcaff), or on wchstv.com/gmarecipes/plumpudding.shtml. 2015 NOTE: the wchstv link no longer works, but I did find a Julia Child recipe on home cooking (it may not be the same recipe): homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/bldes156.htm
