* Exported from MasterCook *
Pudding, Plum
Recipe By : Barry C. Parsons
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Desserts
Fruit Holidays
Nuts Posted
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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For the soaked dried Fruits -- See note below
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup glace cherries -- chopped
2/3 cup dried fruit -- mixed, or citrus peel
3/4 cup dried apricots -- chopped
2/3 cup brandy -- Note 1:
For the rest of the pudding
3 cups bread crumbs -- stale, Note 2:
3/4 cup milk -- hot
1/2 cup flour -- Note 3:
1/2 cup brown sugar -- Dark brown sugar is best
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter -- very cold or frozen, Note 4:
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract -- pure, optional
1/2 cup nuts -- toasted chopped, your choice, optional
For the hard royal icing on top.
2 egg whites -- at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sugar -- icing, approximately, i.e. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar -- optional
1 tsp orange zest -- finely minced, or lemon zest.
First let's start with the basics. There are no plums in Plum Pudding.
Now that may sound a bit weird to some of you right at the outset.
However, in these parts, where there are no figs in Figgy Duff, the
concept is not so strange.
All of this naming confusion, of course, harkens back to our British
heritage. This connection to our roots on the other side of the
Atlantic remains a constant influence in Newfoundland cooking and culture.
In pre-Victorian times, both plums and figs were common names for
raisins in the UK. In fact, puddings like this are even older and can
be traced all the way back to medieval times.
Note 1: cognac, whiskey or rum, your choice (If not using alcohol
substitute grape juice or apple juice.)
Note 2: Bread that is several days old is best for making these crumbs.
Note 3: Yes that's all you need. There is also no baking powder or
baking soda in this recipe. It is meant to be dense and rich.
Note 4: Frozen is easiest if you are grating the butter.
prep: 45 MINUTES
cook: 4 HOURS
total: 4:45
Grease a glass or stainless steel bowl or pudding mold. The bowl/mold
should hold about 9 cups.
Line the mold with strips of parchment paper to help with the release
of the pudding later.
To prepare the dried fruit: Simply mix together the dried fruits and
brandy and let stand overnight or for several days beforehand.
Stir it several times during the soaking time and always have it in a
sealed plastic container or bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap.
You don't want the alcohol to evaporate.
To prepare the pudding: Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and set
aside while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and
cloves. Set aside.
Whisk together the eggs and mix them through the soaked bread crumbs.
Grate the butter and toss with the dry ingredients. (Or use a food
processor to pulse the butter through the flour and spice mixture.
Small pieces of butter, about the size of small peas should still be
visible in the mix.
Add the flour spice and butter mixture to the bread crumb and egg
mixture, along with the dried fruits. (and nuts if you are using them)
Stir together well until completely combined.
To steam the plum pudding: Pour the batter into the prepared bowl/mold.
Cover the top of the mold with the lid. If using a bowl as a steamer,
cover the top with a couple of layers of parchment paper or plastic
wrap. Tie with a piece of butcher string or twine to secure it.
Finally top with a couple of layers of aluminium foil and crumple it
tightly around the edges.
Steam the pudding by in a stock pot or large dutch oven that is at
least twice the size of the mold/bowl you are using, and at least a
couple of inches taller.
Place a trivet, small cake rack or an old tea plate at the bottom of
the pot. Place the pudding on top of the trivet and fill the pot
halfway up the height of the pudding mold with boiling water. Pour
the water down the side of the pot and not directly over the pudding
mold. You will need to watch this closely and add more boiling water
every hour or so, to bring it up to the same level that you started with.
Place the cover on the pot and bring it to a very gentle simmer. This
should be done on a low to medium low heat, just enough to get that
very slow simmer.
Steam for about 4 hours, topping up the boiling water mentioned
above, as needed.
Cool the pudding in the steamer/mold for a couple of hours before
turning it out.
TIP: When storing my pudding after it is cooled, I keep it in the
same bowl in which it was steamed. I just cover the top tightly with
plastic wrap.
If soaking the pudding in brandy or rum, this is also a handy trick,
if you line the bowl with layers of plastic wrap first.
Finishing the Pudding: If you want to add a royal icing topper on the
pudding, you can do this a day or two in advance of serving.
Simple beat together the egg whites and icing sugar (+ cream of
tartar if you are using it) with an electric mixer for 5 minutes
until the mixture stiffens. You may need to add a couple of
tablespoons more of the icing sugar if the consistency is too
loose/runny. This is normal because the eggs can very slightly in size.
If using the citrus zest, fold it in by hand at the end.Spread the
icing on the top of the inverted pudding, in a sort of dripping
pattern. Allow to harden overnight to serve the following day.
A brandy or rum soak
Most often these sorts of puddings are infused with brandy or rum to
compliment all the flavours inside. This is completely optional and
should be done only when the pudding is completely cooled.
As mentioned above, I use the same bowl the pudding was steamed in to
do the alcohol soak.
Line the bowl with several layers of plastic wrap and return the
pudding to it. I use long skewers to poke a couple of dozen holes
into the pudding, to about 2/3 of the depth of the bowl.
Then, I slowly spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of rum or brandy slowly
over the surface.
I usually leave that for 2 or 3 days and then repeat the soak again.
If you don't want it too boozy, you can just do one soak.
Notes: There is no hard and fast rule about the dried fruits in this
recipe. About 2 pounds of any mixture of dried fruits you like to
make your own version. Substitute currants, dried cranberries, glace
pineapple etc for any of the fruits in this recipe to make it your own.
Cal 353, Fat 19g, Carb 36g, Sod 342mg, Fiber 2g, Pro 7g
S(Internet address):
https://www.rockrecipes.com/christmas-plum-pudding/
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 674 Calories; 23g Fat (32.0%
calories from fat); 10g Protein; 102g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber;
149mg Cholesterol; 545mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2
Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 Fat; 3 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : 2020 - 1211