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This compact, intensely flavorful pudding can be made weeks ahead and kept, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Although this recipe is for one cake made in a 4-to-6-cup bowl, the recipe can be tripled to make several puddings, as is done in Great Britain before Christmas, to use as gifts and serve to friends during the holiday season.
As the cake ages, it will develop more flavor. The hard-sauce recipe and the syrup recipe for the top yield enough for one cake. The pudding can also be cut into i-inch cubes, soaked in the syrup and alcohol (whiskey or cognac), and served as petits fours for an after-dinner treat. The spice seasonings as well as the dried fruit can be varied according to what is available and what your own personal tastes are. Pudding 2 ounces beef suet (white fat from steak can be used) 2 slices white bread 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon diced lemon rind 1 tablespoon diced orange rind 2 large eggs 1/2 cup Scotch whiskey or dark rum 2 tablespoons orange juice 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup light-brown sugar 1/2 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup Golden raisins 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried apricots 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried apple 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried plums (prunes) 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried pears 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried peaches 1/2 cup pieces (1/4-inch) walnuts SOAKING SYRUP 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons Scotch whiskey or cognac 1 tablespoon lemon juice HARD SAUCE 6 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened l/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup Scotch whiskey or cognac For the pudding: Cut the suet into 1-inch pieces, and put it in the bowl of a food processor with the white bread, flour, and lemon and orange rinds. Process until the fat is well ground and the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, whiskey or rum, and orange juice, all-spice, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and brown sugar, and process until well homogenized. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, add the remaining pudding ingredients, and stir to mix well. Spoon into a 4-to-5-cup oven-proof glass bowl with high sides, and cover with plastic wrap. To cook, wrap the top of the bowl with aluminum foil to seal it, and place it in a pot that is large enough to contain it. Pour lukewarm tap water around the mold, so it comes approximately three-fourths of the way up the sides of the bowl. Place the pot over high heat, and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer the pudding for about 5 hours. The water should not boil; it should be maintained at a heat of 170 to 180 degrees. If the water evaporates during cooking, replenish occasionally to keep it at the appropriate level. When cooked, remove the aluminum foil from around the mold. The internal temperature of the pudding should be about 180 degrees. Let cool to room temperature. Unmold the cooled pudding onto a piece of plastic wrap; it should slide outof the bowl easily. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate (it will keep for several weeks), or freeze. At serving time, put the cake back in the bowl in which it was cooked, cover with aluminum foil, and steam again in the same manner for about 1 hour, until warm in Prepare the soaking syrup: In a bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar and whiskey or cognac with the lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Unmold the cake, and brush with the syrup to flavor it. Prepare the hard sauce: Put the soft butter, confectioners' sugar, and whiskey or cognac in the bowl of a food processor, process until smooth, and spoon into a serving dish. To serve: Unmold the pudding onto an attractive serving platter with some holly around it, if desired, to make it festive. Cut into wedges, and serve with a spoonful of hard sauce on top. |
English Christmas Pudding With Hard Sauce |
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