PLUM PUDDING Sometimes its called Plum Pudding, but Plum Pudding has neither plum nor is it the type of food generally thought of as a pudding, at least not by Jell-O! Plum Pudding is the essence of Christmas in Ireland and no one can ever make it like ones own dear mother, but heres a recipe thats a little bit Clare and a little bit Donegal with some Dublin thrown in for good measure. There are many traditions and superstitions surrounding the Christmas pudding. Some traditions say to make the pudding by the 25th Sunday after Trinity, with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and His Disciples. Every member of the family is to take a turn stirring the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west, in honor of the three kings. It is said that setting the pudding aflame with brandy represents Christ’s passion. A sprig of holly as garnish is a reminder if His ‘Crown of Thorns.’ Holly supposedly brought good luck and had special healing powers. It was often planted near houses in the belief that it protected the inhabitants. Some families add coins to the pudding for luck. Everyone then stirs the pudding and makes a wish. Those who get the coins in their serving get wealth, health, happiness, and their wish will come true. Some people even add gold rings to the mix to indicate the finder will get married in the coming year. A tradition that died out due to its depressing nature was the addition of thimbles or buttons to the pudding. This signaled that the finder would remain a spinster or bachelor forever, the loser slice if you will! INGREDIENTS: 10 eggs 1 cup white flour 4 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons allspice 2 teaspoons nutmeg 4 ounces chopped almond pieces 1 grated apple 1 pound light brown sugar 1 medium carrot, grated (this optional ingredient probably crept into the recipe during WWII when fruits was in short supply) Rind and juice of an orange and a lemon 3 pounds raisins use some currants, some yellow, and some sultanas. The more variety in fruits, the better the pudding. 8 ounces candied cherries or natural dried cherries 24 ounces bread crumbs 12 ounces candied peel (candied pineapple chunks, citron, mixed peel) 1 pint of Guinness 5 tablespoons of hard liquor 1 pound butter or finely minced suet if preferred Method Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub the raisins and other fruits with the flour and spices. The flour adheres to the stickiness of the fruits and gives the pudding a nice even texture. Cut the butter into fine pieces and mix well with the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix the liquid ingredients. When the liquids have been well stirred, add them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix all together very well. The batter should be a bit loose, a little thicker than a cake mix. If it’s dry like bread dough, add more Guinness. Heat-proof bowls work best. When the pudding has cooled, remove it from the bowl, dribble brandy (or any other whiskey-type stuff) over the top of it, letting as much sink in as possible. Seal the puddings in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. (Don’t let the aluminum touch the pudding as there is a reaction that dulls the foil and I suspect this is not good for the pudding or the people eating it.) Traditionally, the pudding was steamed again for an hour before serving. There are two possible methods: Remove the wrapping, return the pudding to the original bowl, and steam again for an hour. Turn it out on a heat-proof serving plate and proceed to the lighting process that follows the brandy butter recipe---or---unwrap the pudding, place it on the serving platter, and microwave for 10 minutes at 50 percent power. The microwave method, though obviously not traditional, works exceptionally well. Brandy Butter (Hard Sauce) 1 cup butter 1 cup confectioners sugar 1/2 cup brandy (or whiskey, Irish or otherwise) METHOD: 1 - Soften butter. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy. Slowly add an equal amount or more of confectioner’s sugar. You will see that the mixture changes texture. Slowly add the brandy after this textural change in the sugar/butter blend. Beat further until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Spoon the brandy butter into serving dishes and chill until firm. When turning the mixture into the serving dish, finish off the top by swirling it into a circular pattern with the bottom of the spoon for a decorative effect. 2 - Garnish everything with Holly in berry if you have it. To light the plum pudding, pour a generous cup of Brandy on top. There’ll be a little puddle on the plate. That should light pretty easily and the blue flames will creep up the sides. Save one pudding for New Year’s Day dinner if you can. Leftover pudding is generally fried in a little butter in a cast-iron pan the next day. theceltictimes/recipes.html
Posted on: Sun, 22 Dec 2013 22:45:28 +0000
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