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ma's english plum pudding

(2 ratings)
dsenecal avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Denise Senecal
@dsenecal
Rutland, VT

This recipe has been handed down from my great-grandmother and before.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Plum pudding is an old-fashioned English dessert. It does not contain plums but is made with several fruits and raisins that used to be referred to as plums in olden times. We also use a mold to make the pudding, rather than linen cloth as they used to. Every family's version is different, and we loved how this recipe is chock full of dried and candied fruits and nuts. The pudding is tender and filled with warm spices. The maple sugar sauce drizzled on top is a wonderful addition. All together, it tastes like Christmas.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 12 serving(s)
prep time 9 Hr
cook time 4 Hr
method Steam

Ingredients For ma's english plum pudding

  • PUDDING
  • 3 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 3/4 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp
    nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp
    mace
  • 1 tsp
    cinnamon
  • 1 lb
    raisins
  • 1/2 lb
    dried currants
  • 1/2 lb
    candied citron
  • 1/2 lb
    candied lemon peel
  • 1/2 lb
    candied orange peel
  • 1/2 lb
    walnut pieces
  • 1/2 lb
    brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/4 c
    hot milk
  • 1/2 c
    fine bread crumbs
  • 1 c
    granulated sugar
  • 4 lg
    eggs, separated
  • 1/2 lb
    suet (can substitute shortening or butter)
  • 1/4 c
    lemon or orange juice
  • 1/2 c
    currant jelly or marmalade
  • MAPLE HARD SAUCE
  • 2 c
    maple sugar (not syrup)
  • 1 c
    room butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 c
    walnuts, optional

How To Make ma's english plum pudding

  • Flour and spices in a bowl.
    1
    To make the pudding, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.
  • Chopping dried fruits and nuts.
    2
    Chop the fruit and walnuts.
  • Mixing chopped fruit and nuts with sugar.
    3
    Add to a large bowl and mix. Add the brown sugar; mix again.
  • Stirring fruit and nuts into spiced flour.
    4
    Stir into the flour mixture.
  • Milk mixed with bread crumbs.
    5
    Pour the milk over the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Sugar and egg yolks in a bowl.
    6
    In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy.
  • Shortening and bread crumb mixture added to the eggs.
    7
    Add the shortening and bread crumb mixture to the yolk mixture.
  • Stirring egg mixture into the flour and fruit.
    8
    Stir the yolk mixture into the flour/fruit mixture.
  • Juice and jelly added to the mixture.
    9
    Add the juice and jelly to the mixture. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or with your hands.
  • Folding in egg whites.
    10
    In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the main mixture with a spoon (it will be very thick).
  • Mixture poured into a greased mold.
    11
    Fill one large (or 2 to 3 small) greased plum pudding mold(s) 2/3 of the way full.
  • Placing a biscuit cutter into a pot of water.
    12
    Put a metal ring at the bottom of a large pot so the mold doesn't directly touch the bottom.
  • Mold covered and placed on top of the biscuit cutter.
    13
    Cover the mold tightly with its lid. Place it in the pot on top of the ring. Fill the pot with water about 2/3 up the side of the mold.
  • Top placed on the pot for pudding to steam.
    14
    Cover the pot with a tight lid and steam the pudding on a low simmer (not a boil) for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
  • Steamed plum pudding turned onto a cooling rack.
    15
    After 3 1/2 hours, check the pudding with a skewer. If it comes out clean, it's done. Turn the pan over onto a cooling rack. Don't let it cool in the pan or it will stick.
  • Butter in a bowl for maple sauce.
    16
    Make the maple hard sauce by creaming the butter until very soft.
  • Stirring in maple sugar.
    17
    Stir in the maple sugar.
  • Warming the sauce in a saucepan.
    18
    Transfer the mixture to a saucepan on the stove. Warm over medium-low heat, for 2 - 4 minutes until just warm enough to soften.
  • Blending sauce until smooth.
    19
    Blend the warm sauce until it is smooth. Stir in the walnuts, if using. You may add cream or milk and more sugar to make more sauce or to create a pouring consistency if needed.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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