This recipe will make a pudding in either one two pint, one point two
litre basin, or two one pint, 570 millilitre basins.
You will need.
Four ounces (1/2 cup) shredded suet or unflavoured Crisco.
half a cup, self-raising flour, sifted, plus a little
extra if using Crisco.
about One and a half cups, of white breadcrumbs made from a loaf that is a couple of days old.
A quarter of a teaspoon of grated or ground nutmeg.
A quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
, one and a quarter cups, of soft brown sugar.
, one cup, of sultanas, (white seedless raisins)
one cup, of raisins.
two and a half cups, of currants.
one level tablespoon, chopped mixed peel or candied peel.
One ounce, 25 g, chopped almonds.
One small apple peeled, cored and finely chopped.
The grated rind of one small orange and one small lemon.
Two medium sized eggs.
Two tablespoons of brandy or rum.
Three fluid ounces 75 ml, of barley wine. Or port or sweet sherry
Three fluid ounces 75 ml, of stout or dark coloured beer(Guiness)
Firstly, chop or shred the Crisco into tiny pieces and mix it with half a
level tablespoon of flour to separate the grains.
Now put the suet or Crisco, breadcrumbs, flour, spices and sugar in a large bowl mixing in each ingredient thoroughly before adding the next. Now, gradually mix in all the dried fruit, peel and nuts. Follow these with the chopped apple, orange and lemon rind. In a different bowl, beat up the eggs and mix the brandy or rum, barley wine and stout into them. Tip the egg mixture over the dry ingredients Stir very thoroughly for several minutes, it might be necessary to add a little more
stout at this point to make sure that the pudding is of a dropping consistency, when the mixture will fall from the spoon when gently shaken above the bowl. This is the point where you might like to have some help mixing the pudding and let everyone in the house take the chance to make a wish. After you have finished mixing the pudding, cover the bowl and leave it to stand in a cool place overnight so that all the flavours become absorbed into each other. The next day, grease the pudding basins and fill them to the top with the mixture. Cover the top of each pudding with a piece of greased grease proof or waxed paper and then put a piece of aluminum foil on top, securing this around the top rim of the basin with string or a rubber band.
To steam the puddings, either place each one in a covered graduated steamer over a saucepan of water or put each basin in a covered, half filled saucepan, making sure that the water only comes about half way up the sides of the bowl. Boil the puddings steadily for eight hours, making sure that the pans do not boil dry.
Note from Kay: I find that a crockpot is perfect for steaming the pudding.
When cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool, then take off foil and
paper and replace it with cheesecloth soaked in brandy, cognac, rum or whiskey. store them in a an airtight container in a cool dry place.
Re-steam for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.
This pudding is best made in November to give it a little time to mature but will still taste excellent if made just before Christmas.
It is customary to put a few silver coins into the pudding when you are
stirring it, just before leaving it to stand overnight, wrap individually
in foil so that they will be visible when the pudding is served, just in
case young children are present. Luck is supposed to come to you if
you are one of the lucky ones to find a coin. Try making a wish when
stirring the pudding too, and I sincerely hope it comes true for you.
Serve this with a custard sauce or a hard sauce.