David de Jongh's Cookbook
Christmas Pudding
| 8 oz dates | 1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour |
| 8 oz figs | 2 rounded tsp. mixed spice |
| 8 oz prunes | (cinnamon / nutmeg / allspice) |
| 1lb raisins | 1 cup dark brown sugar |
| ½ cup rum and/or brandy | 1 tsp. salt |
| 1 tbsp. Fowlers Black Treacle or molasses | 4 oz chopped blanched almonds |
| ½ cup dark corn syrup | 8 oz walnuts or pecans |
| 4 oz candied peel (citron) | 4 oz shredded beef suet |
| 2 oz glacé cherries | 2-3 cups breadcrumbs (5-6 slices) |
| 4 eggs |
Chop larger dried fruit into raisin-size pieces. Combine in a large glass or porcelain bowl with the rum or brandy. Leave in refrigerator to soak overnight.
Mix flour, spices and salt. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add suet, breadcrumbs, syrup, treacle. Stir in flour mixture. Now the real work! Combine everything together. The problem here is that there is now a very large volume, and it’s pretty stiff, so you’ve really got to mix it by hand.
At this point, I generally line two 1 qt. glass bowls with aluminum foil and spray with Bakers Secret or Pam non-stick spray. Fill each bowl to within a half-inch of the top, then cover with foil and crimp around the edge to form a loose seal. Steam for 3-5 hours (the longer, the darker). I use a 4 ½ qt covered Dutch oven with a trivet, and about an inch of water, which I check every hour. Allow to cool a little after cooking, then remove foil and rewrap in cling film. You can then freeze them and reheat in the microwave (about 2-3 minutes on High after defrosting) when you’re ready to eat. We’ve eaten them after a year in the freezer with no ill effects.
This recipe makes four or five puddings, each of which will feed six people, if they can manage anything after a turkey dinner.
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