English Plum Pudding
aka Christmas Pudding
Adapted from a recipe by Julia Child
CAKE
▪ 3 cups packed coarse fresh breadcrumbs
from white bread (aka 1/2 lb. loaf,
crusts on).
▪ 1 cup dark raisins
▪ 1 cup golden raisins
▪ 1 cup currants
▪ 1 1/3 cup sugar (aka 1/2 lb)
▪ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
▪ 1/2 teaspoon mace
▪ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
▪ 1/2 lb (2 sticks) melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
▪ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
▪ 4 large eggs
▪ a few drops of almond extract
▪ 1/2 cup bitter orange marmalade
▪ 1/2 cup bourbon or dark rum
HARD SAUCE
▪ 2 cups powdered sugar
▪ 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
▪ 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
▪ 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
THE BIG FINALE
▪ 1 cup rum (or brandy) to flambé
SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT: 8-cup capacity steamed pudding mold (or small bowl)
& small rack that fits into a tall stockpot, or some way to keep the mold off the
bottom of the pot.
Tear bread into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to form
rough crumbs. Empty the crumbs into very large bowl. Add the raisins and currants
to the food processor and process until finely chopped, but not turned into a paste
(that's too much). Turn the fruit out into the bowl with the bread. Put all of the
other ingredients into the food processor and pulse to mix. Pour all that over the
bread and fruit. Stir to thoroughly mix.
Butter an 8-cup capacity steamed pudding mold (or medium-size bowl). Pack
pudding into mold and top with a parchment round on surface. Cover tightly.
Place on rack in a deep stockpot or use other solution to keep the mold off the
bottom of the pot. Pour water into the stockpot to come 1/3 of the depth of the mold
(not in the mold, you understand, but surrounding it). Bring water to a simmer.
Cover tightly and steam for 6 hours. Check to make sure that your water has not
evaporated from time to time and add more if it does.
When done, remove the mold to a rack and bring it to room temperature. Cover
tightly and store in the refrigerator for a week, or even better, a month...or dare I
say...longer. It keeps.
When you are ready to serve, make the hard sauce. It's basically a boozy
buttercream. Just beat the powdered sugar and soft butter together until fluffy.
Then beat in the salt and booze. Transfer to serving bowl and chill.
Plum Pudding should be served warm. To unmold it, bring it to room temperature
again and warm the mold slightly. In fact you can reheat it completely in simmering
water in the mold OR perhaps even easier, turn the pudding out onto a deep plate.
Cover the pudding with vented plastic wrap and reheat it in the microwave until
very warm.
For the big finale, you set it on fire. The fancy term for this is flambe.
Here's how to do it. Heat 1/2-1 cup of hot brandy or rum in a saucepan. Light the
alcohol on fire and then carefully pour the flaming liquid over the cake. NOTE:
Make sure that both the cake and the booze are pretty warm/hot or the flambe might
not flambe.
Serve with the hard sauce. Ta da!
