Kate’s English Plum Pudding*

This is an exquisite dessert brought to the table flaming. It is serve, still flaming if a managable small number of people. This is the original Christmas pudding traceable to 15th century May Day celebration originally constructed from raisins. Plum refers to prune which the Briths used to refer mean any dried fruit. There are no plums, and not really a pudding but more akin to mincedmeat. When served, it’s served with an equal amount of hard sauce.

1/2 lb of beef suet, chopped fine. Ask butcher to procure a month a head of time.

4 egg beatened separately.

2 tsp vanilla

1 pint whipping cream

1 cup flour

1/4 lb of fine white bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups currants

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs powdered sugar

1 oz. Each of citron and candied lemon

1 tsp fresh nutmeg

1 glass each of good sherry and brandy(napoleon)

4 oz. Chopped almonds*

Softened butter for buttering both the mold a small cloth or kitchen towel.

Butter well a decorative pudding mold with a tight fitting lid. Combine all ingredients and mix, folding in the egg white last. Butter both sides of a clean cotton cloth to put over the mold top, and snug on the lid. Steam the pudding for not less than five hours. When steaming ensure the water level is substantially below the lid by an inch.

Turn out very hot over a silver platter and pour over 1 cup of hot brandy, and ignite. Serve flaming at the table with an equal amount of Hard Sauce. Make sure nothing is above this dessert that may be damaged by the flames as the flames may be tall.

The pudding may be simply left it its pot for days and reheated for 45 minutes before de-molding. When heating the brandy, you can use the microwave for no more than a minute while heating.

Brandied Hard Sauce

2 sticks of sweet butter to two cups powdered sugar

1tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

Napoleon Brandy

Whipping cream

Cream butter and sugar together til very smooth. Add brandy to taste. When strong enough, add all the whipping cream it will hold without curdling. As you add cream, you will notice to begin to curdle but whipping more, in with smooth again. Go slow a bit at a time. Now transfer to the mold sized the same as the pudding. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

De-mold in very hot water for five seconds. Invert on a silvered serving plate.

*Bitter almond Facts

This recipe originally used equal quantities of bitter and sweet almonds. My mother would substitute apricot pits for bitter almonds but these too can contribute hydrogen cyanide,  a poison. So I recommend using all almonds.

* Desserts and vegetables did not appear in my colored cookbook so are found on my blog.