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National Plum Pudding
Day
February 12
Also known as Plum Duff in the
Victorian era. It is a fascinating dessert that does not have any plums
in it nor is it a pudding. So why plums? It is thought that it was
initially "plumbs" which is colonial terminology for raisins, one of
the key ingredients. And why pudding? Although it's not technically a
pudding, this dessert has a pudding-like texture created by steaming.
Plum Pudding Recipe
Makes 2 large puddings, serving 8 to 10 each, and 1
small pudding that serves 6 to 8.
12 ounces pitted prunes, chopped
10
ounces dried currants
8 ounces raisins
4 ounces candied
fruit-peel
zest from 1 orange
1/3 cup orange juice
zest from 1
lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon apricot puree
1 tablespoon
molasses
1/3 cup Guinness stout
1/2 cup or more Cognac or brandy
1/4
cup tawny port
1/4 cup or more Frangelico liqueur
1/2 teaspoon (rounded)
cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (rounded) ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/2 teaspoon (scant) ground cloves
1 cup + 1 tablespoon dark
brown sugar
8 cup fresh white breadcrumbs from homemade-style sliced white
bread
6 oz butter, melted, + additional-as needed
glace cherries for
garnish
Whip cream, sweetened with sugar and vanilla
Combine the
prunes, currants, raisins, candied citrus peel, citrus rinds and juice, apricot
puree and molasses in a large nonreactive bowl.
Add the stout, 1/2 cup
Cognac, the port and 1/4 cup Frangelico. Mix well.
Stir in the cinnamon,
nutmeg, pepper and cloves.
Add the sugar and mix very well.
Cover bowl
with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
The
following day, let mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Fold in the
breadcrumbs with a rubber spatula, in batches if necessary, until crumbs are
thoroughly combined and no white specks are visible.
Mixture will be stiff.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Thoroughly fold in the melted butter.
There
should be about 9 cups of batter.
Lightly butter two 4-cup and one 2-1/2-cup
steamed pudding molds, heat-proof ceramic bowls or stainless-steel
bowls.
Lightly pack 3 1/2 cups of batter into the 4 cup molds and 2 cups of
batter into the 2 1/2-cup mold.
Smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
Press
a lightly buttered round of baking parchment directly onto the surface of each
pudding.
Cover each mold with its lid or each bowl with aluminum
foil.
Place molds in pots with boiling water that comes 3/4 of the way up
the sides of the molds; cover pots.
Steam puddings for 4 hours over low or
medium-low heat, so water boils gently.
Replenish boiling water as necessary
to maintain level.
Transfer puddings to wire racks; cool to room
temperature.
Refrigerate puddings, covered with baking parchment and plastic
wrap, for up to 6 days.
Brush them lightly once or twice with Cognac or
Frangelico, if desired.
To serve, let pudding stand at room temperature for
30 minutes.
Steam, covered with parchment paper and aluminum foil, for 2-1/2
hours.
Let cool on a rack for 1-1/2 hours. Pudding should still be
warm.
Run a knife around the edge of the pudding.
Invert pudding onto
cake stand or platter.
Decorate with glace cherries.
To flambe pudding:
Pour about 2 tablespoons hot Cognac over the top. Carefully and immediately
ignite it with a match. Blue flames will subside when alcohol has burned off.
Slice the pudding and serve with whipped cream.
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