Journalist Kate Colquhoun traces the origins of traditional Christmas foods, such as English pudding, the boiled dessert made with suet or lard, in Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking.
English Plum Pudding
Makes 8 servings
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/4 cup cut-up candied fruit peel
- 1/4 cup cut-up candied cherries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
- 1 cup (4 ounces) ground kidney suet
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 Tablespoon brandy
- 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
- Hard Sauce (see below)
Mix flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir in fruit, walnuts and bread crumbs. Combine suet, brown sugar, eggs and 1 tablespoon brandy, and stir into flour mixture. Pour into a well-greased 4-cup mold and cover with aluminum foil. Place mold on a rack set in to a Dutch oven, and pour boiling water into Dutch oven to rack level. Cover and boil over low heat until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 3 hours, adding boiling water if necessary.
Remove mold from Dutch oven. Unmold. Heat 1/4 cup brandy until warm, ignite and pour over pudding. Serve with Hard Sauce.
Hard Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brandy
Beat butter, confectioners sugar and brandy until smooth.
Music break: Cherry Pink by James Last