by Geraldine Duncann
People often ask me why it’s called “Plumb Pudding,” when there are no plums in it. There are several theories, but the one current in our family is that it is associated with “to place into water to a specified depth,” as in dropping a plumb line from a ship to see if the water is deep enough for the keel. Originally a plumb pudding was tied up in a pudding bag and lowered specific depth into a pot of boiling water. Today it is more often placed in a bowl and steamed, as in this recipe.
It was, and still is in some areas, traditional to stir small prizes or coins into the batter of the pudding before it was steamed or baked. In England you can still buy the little prizes to stir into the pudding batter. Some families stir in a shilling. If you wish participate in this tradition, stir a clean quarter into the batter.
Another question; why is it called a pudding when it is more like a cake? “Plum Pudding,” is originally an English and European creation. Puddings were both sweet and savory, and were of a substantial texture. The soft, sweet, milk based things that we consider to be puddings in America are mostly of American origin. The following recipe will make one quite large pudding or several smaller ones.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup black raisins
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup currants
- 1/4 cup chopped dates
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apples
- 1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
- 1 cups brandy or apple juice
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered clove
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cups bread crumbs – (made from day old bread, the crusts removed)
- 1 cup chopped nuts – (One kind or a mixture of walnuts, almonds, filberts etc. Do not use peanuts.)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
The day before making the pudding, place all the fruits in a bowl and add the brandy or apple juice. Cover and leave sit over night, unrefrigerated, until you are ready to make your pudding.
Sift all dry ingredients together. Add the bread crumbs and nuts to the dry ingredients and toss to evenly distribute. Cream the sugar and butter together and add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the marmalade and blend well. Add the macerated fruit, with it’s liquid, to the sugar and egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Now, add the dry ingredients, about half a cup at a time, folding in gently after each addition. The texture should be that of a stiff batter, but not a dough. If it is too thin, add a few more bread crumbs. If it is too stiff, add a bit more liquid, apple juice or water.
Now; how are you going to cook this thing? Traditionally, a pudding is steamed. It can be steamed in a pudding basin or simply tied up in a cloth. In America, pudding basins are available in specialty kitchen shops and of course on line. You may also use a clean, new, unglazed terracotta flower pot. The important thing is for the vessel to have a raised lip at the upper edge so that you can tie down the pudding cloth.
To steam your pudding in a pudding basin, first, butter the inside of the basin well. Fill the basin 3/4 full with the batter. Cut a piece of wax paper or baking sheet into a circle that is about an inch larger all around than the top of your pudding basin. Place it on top of the basin . Now, cut a clean square of a soft fabric, (muslin is best) to be quite a bit larger than the top of the pudding basin. If the top of your basin is about five or six inches in diameter, then your pudding cloth needs to be about fourteen inches square. Lay the pudding cloth over the top of the pudding basin with the excess fabric hanging down. Using a piece of natural fiber twine, securely tie the cloth down with the twine being just under the lip or rim of the pudding basin. Then bring two opposite corners up and over the top and tie them. Do the same with the other two corners of the pudding cloth. Your are now ready to place your pudding in a steamer.
If you don’t have a steamer, you can arrange one. Choose a pot with a tight fitting lid that is large enough to comfortable accommodate your pudding basin, plus room around it. Place some heat proof object in the bottom of the pot for the basin to sit on. I find the ring from a canning jar perfect. This is to elevate the pudding basin just a bit so that it isn’t sitting directly on the bottom of the pot.
Set the basin on this object and add enough water to come half way up it’s sides. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the water in the pot will not be rapidly boiling, yet will maintain a head of steam. You will need to steam a five to six inch pudding for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Keep an eye on it and keep adding boiling water as it evaporates. When the pudding is done, allow it to cool in the steamer. You may make your pudding ahead of time and then put it back in the steamer and re-heat to serve.
If you haven’t a traditional pudding basin, you may use a small, new unglazed terracotta flower pot. Rub the inside very well with butter and place a quarter in the bottom of the pot to cover the hole. Proceed as directed above.
You may also, just tie the batter up in a cloth and put it in the steamer. Many families use to do this. This method produces the round cannon ball shaped puddings that you see in Victorian illustrations.
If you use a cloth only, place the pudding on something tall enough that the water in the steamer does not touch it.
Serve your pudding warm with hard sauce
Hard Sauce
Hard Sauce is a traditional accompaniment for traditional Plum Pudding or Christmas Pudding. It’s oh so easy to make and sinfully delicious. Of course you can feel your arteries slamming shut with every bit.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup , (1 stick or 1/4 pound) fresh butter
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/4 cup brandy or dark rum
- A grating of fresh nutmeg
- About 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Cream the butter until soft and fluffy. With a handheld electric beater, incorporate the molasses, rum and nutmeg. Then, using a wooden spoon, begin working in the powdered sugar. You may refrigerate it and add a spoonful to each serving of Christmas or Plum pudding. Also, while it is soft, you may push it through a pastry bag using a large star tip. Make stars of it on sheets of wax paper, then freeze until needed. Allow to thaw for a few minutes before serving with the Christmas pudding.