Plum pudding, also known as Christmas pudding or figgy pudding, originates in England during the 15th century. A type of thick, savory porridge, plum pudding does not actually include plums but refers to dried fruit in general. By the end of the 16th century, plum pudding had shifted from savory to sweet and it became customary to serve it at Christmas during the 17th century. Brought to the US by British colonists, the earliest American recipe for plum pudding appeared in 1742 in The Williamsburg Art of Cookery by Helen Bullock.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
Total Time
10 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Pudding:
- Nonstick cooking spray, as needed to grease pan
- 3 cups soft breadcrumbs (5 slices of bread)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup shortening, melted
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup candied citron, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar (sugar can be substituted)
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup light corn syrup
Directions
- Grease a 4-cup heatproof pudding mold using nonstick cooking spray.
- Place breadcrumbs in large bowl and pour milk over them.
- Stir in shortening and molasses until well mixed.
- Stir in raisins, flour, candied citron, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, and cloves until well blended.
- Pour mixture into the mold and cover with foil.
- Place the mold on a rack in a Dutch oven. Pour boiling water into the Dutch oven up to the level of the rack.
- Cover the Dutch oven and place it over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and continue to boil water for 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center of pudding comes out clean. During steaming, quickly add water to the Dutch oven as needed.
- Mix together sugar, butter, half and half, and corn syrup in a saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Unmold the pudding and cut into slices.
- Place a slice on a serving plate and pour sauce over it.
- Serve warm.
For Pudding:
For Sauce:
For Assembly:
Recipe introduction and directions © Copyright 2016-2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.