Christmas Pudding

For our Olde English Christmas Feast, I was in charge of more than just the goose.  I wasn't really "in charge," I kind of volunteered to make everything.  Everyone was asked to bring a dish from a list, but the really important things that made an English Christmas Feast complete, weren't taken!  I was told an English Feast isn't complete without Goose, Yorkshire Pudding, Christmas Pudding, and Christmas Crackers... so I volunteered to do them all! 

videojug.com

So what is Christmas Pudding you ask?  It's not a creamy pudding like you may be thinking; it's actually a steamed fruit cake.  Don't be turned off just because I said "fruit cake."  Pudding tastes so much better than fruit cake!  Traditionally, the pudding was made the Sunday after Advent, and everyone in the household took a turn stirring the batter and making a wish.  The batter was filled with fruit and spices, and trinkets such as wishbones (to bring good luck), thimbles (thrift), sixpence coins (wealth), and anchors (safe harbour) which would be kept by the person who was served it.  It was then steamed for a really long time, and set in a cool place until Christmas. 

If you're an American, and your job for Christmas is to make a Christmas Pudding, all I have to say to you is "GOOD LUCK!"  It took me a month (on top of trying to find and learn how to cook a goose) to try to find a good recipe.  First of all, every recipe uses the metric system, so they must be converted.  Second, the damn nightmare takes about 7 hours to cook.  Lastly, every recipe calls for suet.  Do not get it mixed up with the suet they use for bird food.  That is loaded with preservatives and chemicals, not to mention the bird seed.  Suet is the fat that is found around the kidneys of a cow.  You're probably sticking your tongue out or making a face right now, but English people have always used this fat in pastry-making and deep frying.  It's almost impossible to find here in America, but totally IMPOSSIBLE here in Hawaii.  I've tried Whole Foods, local super markets (some butchers haven't even heard of the stuff), even Chinatown!  It's mostly sold in England by a company called Atora (which comes in dehydrated flakes).  It can be pre-ordered through Amazon, or any British import company, but I didn't have the time.  Be sure to order early though, to beat the Christmas postal delays.   I ended up using butter in my recipe.  I froze it first, then grated it to represent the suet flakes.  Every website told me not to use butter, and that suet was IMPORTANT, but I didn't listen and my pudding came out delicious!

I ended up settling on a recipe I found on You Tube by VideoJug, replaced the suet with butter, and added a few ingredients of my own.  I made it a week ahead of time, and good thing I did!  Once it was completely done it tasted horrible!  By the time it was served, however, the flavors had settled and mellowed out, and it was the most delicious dessert I had ever eaten at Christmas!  If you're wondering what Christmas would taste like if it were a flavor, it would definitely be Christmas Pudding!

CHRISTMAS PUDDING
serves many, many people!

ingredients:
1 10 oz. box dried zante currants
1 15 oz. box raisins
1 15 oz. box golden raisins
1 pound breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons flour
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
15-20 maraschino cherries (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped almonds (no skins)
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
1 apple (grated)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (freeze, then grate.  store in freezer until ready to use)
6 eggs
1 11.2 oz bottle of Guinness
1/2 cup brandy

method:
Combine all ingredients in an extremely large bowl except the butter, eggs, Guinness, and brandy.  Be sure to keep your grated butter in the freezer until you're ready to use it.  Beat your eggs, and add it along with your frozen butter, Guinness, and 1/4 cup of the brandy to the mixture.  Stir it up well, but not enough for the butter to soften and smooth into the batter.  Butter a heat-proof glass bowl, and fill with your mixture.  Press firmly into the bowl making sure there are no air bubbles along the sides.  Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the top of the bowl, and seal tightly with foil.  Using baker's twine, or some strong string, wrap your bowl as if it were a present.  This will create a "handle" for you to pull out your pudding once it's done.  Place bowl into a pot or skillet large enough to fill with water 3/4 up the bowl.  Fill with water, and place on high heat until it starts to boil.  Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a slow boil and let boil for 7 hours.  Keep another pot on the stove filled with water (on a medium-low heat), to refill pot whenever the water evaporates.  If this can't be done, refill the pot with water, turn back on high to bring to a boil, and back down to a low boil or simmer.  Once it's done, remove from the pot.  Remove foil and parchment, poke holes all over the top and slowly pour over the rest of the brandy. 

 

Cut a new round of parchment paper, and reseal with cling wrap and foil.  Wrap pudding tightly, and store in a cool dark place until Christmas (this can be done up to 2 months before Christmas, but must be done at least one week prior to serving).  After wrapping in cling wrap and foil, I wrapped the entire bowl in newspaper a couple of times, and placed it in a plastic bag in the closet. 

Before serving, place bowl back in pot with water, and boil for 1 hour to heat all the way through.  You can try to microwave the pudding at 30 second intervals.  Unmold onto a pretty plate, douse in brandy and light it on fire for a spectacle!  It tastes delicious served warm with vanilla bean ice cream.  The cream cuts the spices and fruit, and tastes wonderful together!  The better the ice cream, the better the pudding!!  Enjoy.