Thread: Traditional Christmas Plum Pudding Recipe.

I have mentioned once or twice that my wife is a great cook and as it is that time of the year has been asked about preparing a number of traditional Christmas puddings.

I have googled this recipe and she will give it a whirl but do any other members here (or their partners) know a good easy recipe that tastes the part?

It would be great if you could post them up here and thanks in advance.


Mrs Beeton's Christmas Pudding Recipes

Following on from the theme of Mrs Beeton, here are two of her Xmas Plum Pudding recipes from the 1923 edition of her famous book Mrs Beeton's Family Cookery, not to be confused with. This edition features 5 Christmas puddings, and four Christmas plum pudding recipes are listed here, including one without suet for fruitarians as opposed to true vegetarians. The full colour plate of puddings from the 1890s version is here.
I usually make my plum pudding on stir-up Sunday at the end of November and I always add glace cherries and chopped dates too. In 2010, Stir-Up-Sunday is on November 28, but home made puddings taste just as good freshly made the week of Christmas.

Mrs Beeton's Traditional Christmas Plum Pudding 1

Recipe 1 (Page 494) - 1923 Edition
Makes 2 Christmas puddings

Ingredients

Basic Method

Check recipe for shopping/store cupboard purposes and grease 2 basins.

8 oz moist sugar (use soft brown )


8 oz chopped suet or modern day equivalent


8 oz sultanas cleaned


8 oz raisins halved and stoned (see footnote*)


4 oz currants washed and dried


4 oz shredded mixed candied peel - Cut your own or use ready cut


4 oz of plain flour


4 oz breadcrumbs


2 oz almonds blanched and shredded


the grated rind of a 1 lemon


3 eggs

a salt spoonful of nutmeg grated
half a teaspoon of salt
quarter pint of milk
1 small wineglassful of brandy (optional)

Mix all the dry ingredients together, stir in the well beaten eggs, milk and brandy (if used). Turn the mixture into 2 well greased basins, and steam from 5 to 6 hours.
Time 5 to 6 hours.

Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. N.B. Please note that no raising agent is mentioned in this recipe, but the flour must be plain flour, as elsewhere self raising flour is mentioned by type when used.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Mrs Beeton's Christmas Pudding Recipes

I think my mum always made a Mrs Beetons. Very nice.

Princey.........Most of the bars and Resaurants here that have a Christmas lunch or dinner menu import the puddings from the UK. Where do you get yours from?

I almost forgot but what would a Christmas Pudding be without a proper rich home made (not packet or carton) custard.

Anyway know a nice easy traditional custard recipe?

By the way thanks Mid...........Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Thats fantastic Mid , nice to see the pics of your cooking mate

whilst I have done exactly as is in the pic's I can not take credit for those pics

Here is another recipe with what is referred to as a hard sauce.

Nana's Traditional Christmas Steamed Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce

Recipe courtesy Cindy Goldfield

Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 2 hr 0 min Level: Easy Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 1 cup light molasses
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for tossing fruit
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pint candied mixed fruit (or diced dried fruit such as pineapple, pears, apples, and plums)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 ounces brandy
• Holly sprig, for garnish
• Hard Sauce, recipe follows

Directions


Combine the molasses, butter, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Next, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions. Toss candied fruit and raisins lightly with flour to prevent sinking and add to batter. Stir in brandy.

Pour into a greased and sugared steam pudding mold and place on a rack in a large covered pot with water that comes halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure water hasn't boiled out. Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack before turning out. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a sprig of holly and hard sauce.

Hard Sauce:

• <LI class=ingredient>1/4 pound butter <LI class=ingredient>1 cup sugar <LI class=ingredient>1 pinch salt <LI class=ingredient>1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-ounce brandy or rum

Beat all ingredients together until very well combined. Serve with pudding.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Where do you get yours from?

We have a little old lady that makes them for us locally. She does the puddings and the mince pies.

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

She does the puddings and the mince pies.

How much does she wholesale her product for?

If you don't want to post your prices here please send me a PM.

I'll check with the secretary for you when I'm back in on Tuesday and let you know.

Thanks mate.

Now to go out and try to find all the ingredients.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

8 oz sultanas cleaned 8 oz raisins halved and stoned (see footnote*) 4 oz currants washed and dried

Originally Posted by Mid

250g each of sultanas, currants and raisins.

Whats the difference between currants and raisins? I always though they were the same thing.

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

Whats the difference between currants and raisins? I always though they were the same thing.

Raisins and sultanas are both dried fruit made from grapes. The sultana is a type of white, seedless grape of Levantine or Persian origin.
Currants are an entirely different variety of fruit. Currants are small red or purple berries that can be eaten fresh or dried.

daleysfruit.com.au



all-creatures.org

(Raisins, Thompson Seedless) These Thompson seedless raisins, like all dried fruit, are high in calories because of the concentrated sugar.

And Here I Will Add A Secret Special Tip...'condition Your Fruit'..soak Em Overnight In A Light Slurry Of Water/sweet Cherry /brandy Or Rum..get The Fruit Nice And Plump, Before Adding To Your Pud Mix,
It Will Help To Keep It Moist, Stop The Dried Fruit From Sucking Out The Moisture From Your Finished Product

Great tip there mate and Thanks.

How long should she hang the bag out in the weather on the Hills Hoist then?

I used to put mine in a basin with a generous amount of brandy cover with cling wrap and keep in the fridge for about a week or longer if you've the time .

give it a stir daily and add more brandy as you see fit

Another question...........after you have prepared the ingredients and started the fermentation process how long before you can steam the pudding and can you freeze the mixture before steaming?

you'll want to start boiling it early in the day as it takes 4 - 5 hrs and you need to keep adding hot water to keep the pud covered whilst it's cooking .

never put it anywhere near the freezer , hang in a cool dry spot once cooked till Christmas , some folks are so organised they hang this years cooked pud till next year a they are eating last yrs this year .

Also I must find some threepence and sixpence coins to put into the pudding.

I will never forget the fun it was to get a coin in your pudding but wonder how many people chokd to death on a consumed coin.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Also I must find some threepence and sixpence coins to put into the pudding.

knew you where going to get to this part , a word of caution , be sure you know what the metal content of the coins you actually use is , most folks secretly push the coins and trinkets into the pud just prior to serving .

here ya go

Christmas pudding coins / tokens - Handmade Jewelry by Simone Walsh - indie design, metalwork, contemporary craft

Thanks mate and I am really trying to introduce some of the old customs to my kids before they ain't kids anymore.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

1 cup all-purpose flour

excuse me mate is this self raising or plain ?

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

excuse me mate is this self raising or plain ?

As far as the recipe explains mate plain flour.

We are in the process of acquiring all the ingredients and I will attempt a cooking/picture thread in the coming weeks.