Plum Pudding

[mishalak]

I have a notion in my head to make plum pudding this year. I've done mince pie in the past, though I cannot seem to find the recipe I used last time on this computer. (Perhaps it is time to fire up the old one in the basement of my parents' house to poke around for old things.)

The thing is that though I have had it (and like it) I do not know the particular things that make a recipe work or not. I worry that I'll get something wrong and the concotion will go moldy while aging. And speaking of, the bit I could see of an article in Cook's Illustrated online suggested that it be aged in the refrigerator as it would age faster there. Does that seem right/possible?

Anyone have suggestions?

These are recipes from a BBC feature on Xmas Pud.

Mrs Stearn's Pud
Mrs Stearn, the Victorian Cook at the traditional working kitchen of Shugborough's Servants' Quarters would like to submit Lord Lichfield very Own Christmas Pudding Recipe. A light moist pudding using butter or margarine...
Ingredients:

8oz butter or margarine;
8oz rich dark soft sugar;
3 beaten eggs, size 2-3
2oz black treacle
3oz self raising flour
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
finely grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
juice of ½ lemon and 1 orange
8oz fresh brown breadcrumbs
8oz sultanas
8oz raisins
8oz currants
2oz mixed peel
1oz flaked almonds [option]
2 tablespoon sherry.

Method: Beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and cream until fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs and then the treacle. Sieve the flour, salt and spices together, fold into the mixture with the fruit rinds, juice, breadcrumbs, dried fruits, mixed peel and sherry. Mix thoroughly and have a wish!

Spoon into two 2lb pudding basins. Cover with greaseproof paper and foil or pudding cloth. Leave overnight.

Steam for 5 hours. Leave to cool and then re-cover and leave in a cool place.

On Christmas Day boil or steam for about 3 hours. To serve: Warm I tablespoon of brandy, pour over pudding and light immediately.

Muriel's Pud
Thanks to Muriel from Sandyford in Stoke on Trent who last year, won the BBC Radio Stoke's Christmas Pud recipe competition - this was her winning entry.

Ingredients:
4oz toasted breadcrumbs
1oz plain flour
4oz shredded suet
4oz dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs
three-quarters-lb raisins
6oz sultanas
8oz currants
2-4oz blanched almonds
2oz chopped dried apricots
2oz chopped dried prunes
1oz glace cherries (chopped)
1 grated carrot
grated rind, and juice, of 2 lemons and 1 orange
3 tablespoons of black treacle
1 teaspoon each of grated or ground nutmeg, mixed spice & cinnamon
quarter-pint stout
1 wine-glass of rum or brandy or cold tea.

Method: Method: Mix all ingredients thoroughly (and "wish hard"!), then put mixture into either two 2-pint basins or one 4-pint basin. Fill almost to the top, and cover with greased foil.
Do not tie too tightly, pudding needs room to swell.
Steam for 5-7 hours for larger puddings, or a minimum of 4 hours for smaller puddings - but longer cooking will not spoil them.
When cooked, remove from steamer and allow to go cold, Re-cover with fresh dry foil and store in a cool, dry place.
To serve, steam for a further 2-3 hours (depending on pudding size).

Jane's Pud
This one is dead, dead simple and a great time-saver, because it can be frozen beforehand. Plus it uses a microwave. Excellent.
It burns beautifully too.

Ingredients:
75g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs.
75g/3oz plain flour.
Half-teaspoon ground mixed spice.
75g/3oz shredded suet.
100g/4oz soft brown sugar.
50g/2oz chopped mixed candied peel.
75g/3oz currants.
50g/2oz sultanas.
50g/20z raisins.
40g/one and a half oz blanched almonds (chopped).
Grated rind & juice of half-lemon.
Tablespoon brandy.
A large egg (beaten).
Two and a half tablespoons of brown ale.
A tablespoon of milk.
One and a half tablespoon black treacle.

Method: Mix breadcrumbs, flour, mixed spice, suet, sugar, peel, currants, sultanas, raisins, almonds & apple. Now add and mix in well the lemon, brandy, egg, ale, milk & treacle. Cover 7 leave overnight.
Put in a greased (butter) 1.15litre/2pint pudding basin. Cover loosely with cling film. Cook in microwave (full power) for 10-12 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes - and serve, preferably flamed with brandy.
If you're freezing it, remember to defrost it! On Xmas Eve will do.

Jane Jepson (no relation), Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent

Another from Global Gourmet, which seems less instructive than the ones from the BBC on the particulars of what to do in making the pudding.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of ground cloves
A slightly larger pinch of ground ginger
1 generous teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 generous teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped suet
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup currants
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped citron
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup grated apple
2 eggs, beaten
Grated zest and juice of 1 small orange
2/3 cup Guinness
3 tablespoons brandy or rum, to flame (optional)


1. Sift the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, suet, brown sugar, dried fruit, chopped citron and almonds, and the carrot and apple. Stir well. Add the eggs, grated orange zest and juice, and Guinness. Mix together well. Cover and leave overnight in a cool, dry place.

2. Spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart pudding mold. Cover with buttered foil with a center pleat and steam in a saucepan of boiling water for 4 hours, checking the water level from time to time. Set the pudding, still in its mold, aside until it is completely cold. Remove it from the pudding mold, wrap it in wax paper and then foil, and store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

3. To serve the pudding, unwrap it and re-steam it in the pudding mold for 1 hour. Tilt it out of the pudding mold and serve. To flame the pudding, warm the brandy or rum in a small saucepan. Pour the alcohol over the pudding and ignite immediately.

Comments

[gomeza.livejournal.com]

for mincemeat (which I love) I can supply good recipes from Jeff Smith's "The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas" and from The Joy of Cooking. I have made both, and both were good. However, there is also a store brand sold around here, which I would recognize if I saw it again, but I do not recall the name, which was surprisingly good, and actually contains meat as it should (unlike many commercial mincemeat fillings).