Trivia 01: Plum Pudding

Plum Pudding

According to tradition, what should you do to a plum pudding?

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver 3d piece, or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year. However this practice fell away once real silver coins were not available, as it was believed that alloy coins would taint the pudding. The practice has largely stopped for reasons of safety and liability.

Once turned out of its basin, the Christmas pudding is traditionally decorated with a spray of holly, and it may be doused in brandy, flamed (or 'fired'), and brought to the table ceremonially - where it may be greeted with a round of applause. In some houses the lights are turned out as the pudding is brought in amid a halo of purple brandy flames (this is related to the Christmas tradition of snap-dragons). It can be eaten with hard sauce, brandy butter, rum butter, cream (lemon cream is excellent) or custard and is often sprinkled with caster sugar (the fall of the sugar on triangular slices resembling the fall of snow on a pitched roof, or snowy mountain tops).

Plum Pudding Recipe

Yuletide Plum Pudding - Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raisins
1 cup prunes, chopped
3/4 cup currants
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup mixed candied citrus peel
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
8 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of sea salt

1. In a ceramic bowl, combine the raisins, prunes, currants, golden raisins, and Guinness and allow the mixture to steep, covered, overnight.

2. Next morning, place the Guinness-fruit mixture in a large bowl and combine with the flour, brown sugar, citrus peel, chopped almonds, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.

3. In a smaller bowl, combine the bread crumbs, butter, eggs, and sea salt. Add this mixture to the ingredients in the large bowl and mix well.

4. Generously butter a 1 1/2 quart pudding mold or a heat-proof bowl. Spoon the batter into the mold and cover with a lid or with buttered parchment or aluminum foil tied onto the bowl with string.

5. Place a rack in a deep soup pot with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the mod when it’s set on the rack. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat and steam pudding for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Allow it to cool until just warm, then unmold.

6. Serve decorated with sifted confectioner’s sugar and a sprig of holly, or with a splash of warm brandy (light it for a fabulous flaming effect!), or with hard sauce, or surrounded by greens with a lit candle on top.

Serves 8.