Nanas Traditional Christmas Steamed Plum Pudding With Hard Sauce Food

CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, bread crumbs, suet, eggs, carrot, apple, brown sugar, chopped blanched almonds, stem ginger, ground almonds, cherries, raisins, currants, golden raisins, mixed peel, plums, lemon juice and zest, mixed spice, baking powder and ale. Let each family member take a turn stirring and make a wish. If you have used more dry fruit than fresh, add a little extra ale to make the mixture less stiff.
• Grease 2 large or 4 small pudding basins. Fill with pudding mixture about 7/8 full. Cover tightly with greased waxed paper, then foil; secure with string. Stand pudding on a trivet in a large pot of boiling water that reaches halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Steam puddings over medium-low heat in boiling water 10 hours for large puddings, 5 hours for small puddings, topping off water regularly until quite firm and set.
• If not serving immediately, let cool completely, then replace covers with fresh waxed paper and foil and store in a cool, dry place, basting from time to time with rum or brandy, for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat by steaming 2 to 3 hours.

STEAMED CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Grease one 2-quart lidded pudding mold. Sift together the flour, sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, butter, mincemeat, cranberry sauce and pumpkin. Add to flour mixture and mix until smooth; pour into pudding mold.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot, over medium heat, and fill 1/2 way up with boiling water. Place the pudding on the rack. Steam for 2 1/2 hours.
• Check the pan occasionally and add more water if needed. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. When firm, place the pudding mold on a rack outside of the water for 10 minutes and unmold.
• Prepare a sauce by blending together the sour cream, cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Spoon dollops over warm pudding and serve.

NANA'S TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS STEAMED PLUM PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

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

CHRISTMAS PUDDING SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil first 4 ingredients and then add the last three ingredients.
• Pour over white cake, fruit cake, ice cream or bread puddings.

PLUM PUDDING (STEAMED)

Steps:

• Sift soda, salt and spice into the flour, rub in the suet and add raisins.
• Mix the milk and molasses, stir into the dry mixture.
• Butter a pudding mold.
• Turn mixture into mold.
• Steam for 3 hours.
• Remove from mold to serving plate.
• Cover with a clean tea towel.
• Keep pudding in insect-free, cool place for 3 months. (I just kept it covered in the 'fridge.).
• Pour brandy over pudding periodically, if desired.
• Hard Sauce.
• Rub the butter to a cream in a warm bowl, add sugar gradually then the flavoring.
• Pack smoothly in a small dish.
• Keep on ice until very hard.