RICH PLUM PUDDING
Stone carefully one pound of the best raisins, wash and pick one pound of currants,
chop very small one pound of fresh beef suet, blanch and chop  small or pound two ounces of
sweet almonds and one ounce of bitter ones; mix the whole well together, with one pound of
sifted flour, and the same weight of crumb of bread soaked in milk, then squeezed dry and
stirred with a spoon until reduced to a mash, before it is mixed with the flour. Cut in small pieces two ounces each of
 preserved citron, orange, and
lemon-peel, and add a quarter of an ounce of mixed spice; quarter of a pound of moist
sugar should be put into a basin, with eight eggs, and well beaten together with a
three-pronged fork; stir this with the pudding, and make it of a proper consistence with
milk. Remember that it must not be made too thin, or the fruit will sink to the bottom,
but be made to the consistence of good thick batter. Two wineglassfuls of brandy should be
poured over the fruit and spice, mixed together in a basin, and allowed to stand three or
four hours before the pudding is made, stirring them occasionally. It must be tied in a
cloth, and will take five hours of constant boiling. When done, turn it out on a dish,
sift loaf-sugar over the top, and serve it with wine-sauce in a boat, and some poured
round the pudding. The pudding will be of considerable size, but half the quantity of
materials, used in the same proportion, will be equally good.
OLD ENGLISH CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING
To make what is termed a pound pudding, take of raisins well stoned, currants
thoroughly washed, one pound each; chop a pound of suet very finely and mix with them; add
a quarter of a pound of flour, or bread very finely crumbled, three ounces of sugar, one
ounce and a half of grated lemon-peel, a blade of mace, half a small nutmeg, one
teaspoonful of ginger, half a dozen eggs well beaten; work it well together, put it into a
cloth, tie it firmly, allowing room to swell, and boil not less than five hours. It should
not be suffered to stop boiling.
BOILED PLUM PUDDING
The crumbs of a small loaf, half a pound each of sugar, currants, raisins, and
beef-suet shred, two ounces of candied peel, three drops of essence of lemon, three eggs,
a little nutmeg, a tablespoonful of flour. Butter the mould, and boil them five hours.
Serve with brandy-sauce.
A RICH CHRISTMAS PUDDING
One pound of raisins stoned, one pound of currants, half a pound of beef-suet, quarter
of a pound of sugar, two spoonfuls of flour, three eggs, a cup of sweetmeats, and a
wineglass of brandy. Mix well, and boil in a mould eight hours.
A GOOD CHRISTMAS PUDDING
One pound of flour, two pounds of suet, one pound of currants, one pound of plums,
eight eggs, two ounces of candied peel, almonds and mixed spice according to taste. Boil
gently for seven hours.
MIXING OF INGREDIENTS
"With respect to the mixing of the ingredients, different modes are employed. The
eggs are always beat up previously in a separate state; and the milk, spice, flour, and
crumbs are generally added by degrees, and beat up successively, adding the suet and fruit
next, and the brandy last. In some cases, however, this process is reversed, and the eggs
are added last; but in general, the eggs and milk, the flour, suet, and fruit, and the
spices, go together."
"The pudding-bag is always dredged with flour, and often tied rather loose, that
the pudding may swell; and, after boiling it, about five minutes are suffered to elapse,
in order that the moisture may evaporate from the outside of the cloth, and allow it to
leave the pudding in a perfect state. Some are boiled in a cloth only, some in a mould
only, with a cloth over the mould, and others in both a cloth and basin. They all should
have pounded white sugar sprinkled freely over them, on being served on the dish for
table."
"Much puzzling difference is apparent in the time directed for the boiling of the
puddings of each receipt. This appears to depend on the nature of the composition and the
proportion of binding material. We have instituted a comparison of all the receipts by
reducing the weight of ingredients to the average standard, and have obtained the
following independent deduction:
- Plum puddings require the same boiling, if the crumb be left out, and more flour, egg,
and fruit supply its place.
- They require more boiling, when containing a greater proportion of flour and egg, but
less crumb and suet, or when boiled in a mould.
- They require less boiling, when having less flour, but more crumb and fruit.
- The average time of boiling for ingredients weighing four pounds is about four
hours."
|
