Christmas Recipes
Christmas Plum Pudding with
Brandied Cider Sauce
Although often confused with fruitcake, this classic Christmas dessert tastes more like a rich, dense spice cake. This version uses butter instead of the traditional suet and can be made with your choice of candied fruit, currants, or raisins.
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/3 cup candied cherries, halved, or currants or raisins
- 1/3 cup chopped candied pineapple, currants, or raisins
- 1/3 cup pecan halves
Brandied Cider Sauce
- 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons brandy or apple juice
- 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart steamed pudding mold or casserole.
Pudding
- In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, orange rind, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping side of bowl often.
- Add the egg whites and beat well.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the apple cider.
- Repeat, then stir in the remaining flour mixture.
- Stir in the raisins, carrot, cherries, pineapple, and pecans.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared mold. Cover mold with foil; tie foil in place with string.
- Place mold on rack in a Dutch oven.
- Pour boiling water into the Dutch oven until the water is halfway up the side of the mold.
- Cook, covered, over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place mold upright on a wire rack and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Using a narrow metal spatula, loosen side of plum pudding from the mold, then invert the pudding onto a serving plate.
- Serve warm with Brandied Cider Sauce; top with vanilla ice cream if you like. Or, cover and refrigerate the pudding - it will keep for 1 week.
Brandied Cider Sauce
- In a small saucepan, whisk together 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice, 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thickened, whisking constantly.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons brandy or apple juice and 1 teaspoon butter or margarine.
- To reheat the pudding, steam as directed for 1 hour or until heated through.
Attribution
Posted by GramCracker4Me at Recipe Goldmine 12/20/2001 4:39 pm.