Too Hot To Cook

By Manzanillo Sun Kitchen from the December 2011 Edition

ENGLISH CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

Serve with whipped cream, rum butter or custard

FOR TWO PUDDINGS

8 oz Shredded Suet (preferred) or grated hard butter
1 Heaped Tablespoon Mixed Spice 1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 4 oz A/P Flour
16 oz Soft Brown Sugar
8 oz White Breadcrumbs (from a stale loaf works better) 8 oz Sultanas (Light Raisins)
8 oz Raisins
20 oz Currents
2 oz Almonds (Blanched, Skinned And Chopped)
2 oz each of Mixed Peel – Finely Chopped Red Cherries – whole Candied Citron Peel.
Grated Rind Of 1 Orange and 1 Lemon
1 Apple, Peeled and Cored and Finely Chopped
4 Eggs beaten
½ cup of wine
½ cup dark beer (stout preferably) 4 Tablespoons Dark Rum

METHOD

MAKE AHEAD SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS if possible, as puddings develop more flavor with time. If unused the second pudding can be kept in a cool place until following year and then steamed as described for second cooking.

Put Suet, Flour, Breadcrumbs, spices and sugar in a bowl stirring in one at a time. Gradually mix in the fruit, peel and nuts followed by apple, orange and lemon peel.

In another bowl beat eggs then add the rum, wine and beer. Add liquids to the fruit mixture and stir hard. Using hands is ideal. If needed a little more beer can be added to make a good dropping consistency, (should fall from the spoon when tapped sharply against the bowl). Cover bowl with a cloth and leave overnight.

First cooking

Next day, grease 2 pudding basins and pack mixture into them right to the top. Cover each basin with grease proof paper and then tie a cloth with string around the rims of the bowls. Steam each pudding for at least 8 hours in a steamer pot over boiling water or directly in a large saucepan with water only ¾ up the side of the basin, check water occasionally to ensure the it does not boil away adding more boiling water as needed. When cooked and cooled, replace paper & pudding cloths.

Second cooking

Store in a cool dry place and when required, steam for several hours in the same manner as above.

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