Recipe of the Victorian Christmas Plum Pudding

Victorian Christmas Plum Pudding

Recipe of the Victorian Christmas Plum Pudding

Note: You will need an 8 C pudding container i.e. a Round metal bowl,a cover, Steamer basket trivet or Rack and a roomy soup kettle Count on steaming pudding For at least 6 hours

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups Crumbs from good quality White bread lightly packed (about 1/2 loaf)
1 cup Each of raisins,yellow raisins Currants chopped
1 1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Each of mace cinnamom & nutmeg
8 oz Butter melted
4 large Eggs lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
1/2 cup Bitter orange marmelade
FOR SERVING:
1/2 cup Rum or bourbon heated Slighlty before serving
2 cups Zabaione Sauce **
Holly sprigs to garnish (optional)

Toss the crumbs in a large mixing bowl along with the two types of raisins, currants,sugar and spices. Then toss with the melted butter and all remaining ingredients except for the holly,rum/bourbon and zabaione. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Pack mixture into the container and cover with roundof wax paper and lid. Set the continer on steaming device and add enough water to come up 1/3 up the sides of puding container. Cover kettle tightly bring to a simmer and let steam for 6 hours,checking water level now and then. Pudding is done when dark walnut brown in color and fairly firm to touch. Let pudding cool and then store in a wine cellar or the fridge. At least two hours before serving resteam the pudding. Unmold onto a hot flameproof serving platter and decorate with the holly. Bring to table along with the warmed booze and pour booze around pudding. Ignite and let flame.Serve with the zabaione.

Here is the recipe for Plum Pudding taken from "The American Domestic Cook Book For 1868"

Plum Pudding - Take half a pound of flour, half a pound of raisins, stoned and chopped, and some currants washed picked and dried; use milk enough to stir easily with a spoon; add half a pound of suet chopped fine, a teaspoonful of salt, and four well beaten eggs; tie it in a floured cloth, and boil four hours. The water must boil when you put it in, and continue boiling until it is done.

Christmas Cake

Christmas Cake

Godey's Lady's Book 1862

Sometimes recipes were in written as verses.

 

Victorian Christmas Cake

 

To two pounds of flour, well sifted, unite

Of loaf-sugar, ounces sixteen;

Two pounds of fresh butter, with eighteen fine eggs,

And four pounds of currants washed and clean;

Eight ounces of almonds well blanched and cut small,

The same weight of citron sliced;

Of orange and lemon-peal candied one pound,

And a gill of pale brandy uniced;

A large nutmeg grated:exact half an ounce

Of allspice, but only a quarter

Of mace, coriander, and ginger well ground,

Or pounded to dust in a mortar,

An important addition is cinnamon, which

Is better increased than diminished;

The fourth of an ounce is sufficient.  Now this

May be baked for good hours till finished.

Makes about 24 lbs.