Plum Pudding
NOTE: Choose
any large pot for steaming the pudding. Just make sure that the pot
is tall enough to be tightly covered once the pudding is inside,
and remember that there will be a rack underneath the pudding as
well as a cover or plate over the mold. Remember, too, that the
steamer must be roomy enough to allow you to reach in and extract
the cooked pudding, your hands protected by mitts or rubber gloves.
Of course, a pudding mold with a handle makes the job easier. This
recipe serves sixteen. See figures 18 through 21, for tips on making plum
pudding.
22/3 cups (1 pound) dark raisins
2 cups (10 ounces) dried currants
2 cups water
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (8 ounces) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch bits
4 large eggs
1/3 cup brandy or Cognac
1/2 cup sweet sherry (cream or Amontillado)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped citron, optional Vegetable shortening for greasing mold
1/4 cup additional brandy or Cognac for flaming the pudding, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Chop half the raisins into pieces roughly the same size as currants. Combine chopped and whole raisins and currants in large, heavy-bottomed pot; add water. Cover and bring to boil; uncover and simmer briskly, stirring frequently, until nearly all liquid has evaporated, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove pot from heat, recover, and let cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours.
2. Combine bread crumbs, flour, brown sugar, spices, and salt in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until brown sugar is completely pulverized. Add butter and pulse until mixture is consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Be careful not to allow mixture to clump. Whisk eggs in large bowl until foamy, then beat in brandy and sherry. Stir in crumb mixture. Add cooked fruits and their juices and optional citron, and stir until well blended.
3. Very thickly grease 21/2-or 3-quart mold with shortening. Turn pudding batter into mold, leaving at least 3/4 inch space between top of batter and rim of mold for expansion during steaming. If mold comes with cover, grease inside of cover and snap it in place. Otherwise, crimp sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil over rim of mold with as little overhang as possible down sides. (Water tends to climb up overhanging foil.)
4. Arrange cake rack in bottom of large pot and set mold on top. Pour enough boiling water into pot to come halfway up sides of mold. If mold does not have its own cover, place upside-down plate over foil and cover pot. Turn heat to high and return water to boil as quickly as possible to set outside of pudding and prevent sticking. Lower heat to maintain brisk simmer and steam for 31/2 hours, replenishing pot with additional boiling water as needed.
5. Remove mold from pot and let pudding cool until tepid. Shake mold back and forth to loosen pudding, then unmold onto large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Wrap pudding tightly, then wrap in second sheet of foil or enclose in zipper-lock plastic bag. Let pudding stand at cool room temperature for 3 days, then refrigerate for at least 1 week and up to 2 months.
6. When ready to serve, return pudding to original mold that has been well greased and steam 2 to 3 hours, until center registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, or knife plunged in center comes out hot. (Once reheated, pudding can be left in pot, with heat shut off, for 1 to 2 hours before serving). Invert pudding onto platter and unmold. If you wish to flame pudding, warm brandy in small saucepan until barely tepid. Drizzle brandy over pudding, and then, standing back, ignite with long wooden match. Cut into wedges and serve with hard sauce.