When my husband and I were at work, and we had two children to look after and all their activities (rugby, swimming, karate) and parents and relatives to visit regularly (four-hour journey each way) and of course housework and gardening to do, I still managed to be well-prepared for Christmas with puddings, cake and mincemeat all made, plus other treats such as chocolate logs and mincepies (there was one memorable time when staying at my dad’s house, I prepared three different bowls of mixture for pud, pies and cake – fruit marinating etc… and when we got them home I couldn’t member which was which… I think I guessed correctly with the cake but might have muddled the pies and pud – they all tasted great anyway!) … anyway this year I am way behind… luckily I have mincemeat left from last year so I’ll make some mince pies soon.
I think there is only me who really likes Christmas pudding – my husband and son don’t mind it, but my daughter really dislikes it – even when I made a ‘white’ one with berries and red fruit and white choc chips she really didn’t enjoy it.
So since it’s mainly for me maybe I shall try a different style pud (yes I know it should have been made weeks if not months ago!) and I have found this ninety year-old recipe:
Christmas pudding
(made with figs and dates)
This recipe will make 3 large or four medium puds, so adjust quantities if necessary
- 1½ lbs stoned and chopped dates
- 1 lb figs, stalks removed and fruit chopped
- ½ lb mixed peel
- 1½ lbs seeded raisins
- 2 lbs chopped suet (you could use vegetable suet or even butter)
- ½ lb breadcrumbs
- ¾ lb flour ( might use wholemeal)
- ½ lb sugar (it doesn’t specify but I will use Demerara)
- 2 oz ground almonds
- 4 oz chopped walnuts
- 1 large carrot, scraped and grated
- zest and juice of a large orange and lemon
- 2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground is best, and 1 whole nutmeg = 1 tsp)
- ½ tsp ground ginger (I like ginger so I would add more)
- 8 eggs beaten
- 1 lb black treacle (warmed very slightly)
- 7 fl oz milk
- 3 fl oz rum (or brandy if you prefer, or miss it out and add more liquid)
- ratafia flavouring (I actually do have some! This will be the first time I have used it!)
- mix the suet/fat, flour and breadcrumbs, spices, almonds and sugar
- add carrot, walnuts, and zest
- stir in the eggs, treacle, fruit juice and milk and beat well
- add the rum and ratafia
- put into well buttered basins, cover with buttered paper and floured pudding cloth (or tinfoil) and steam for about six hours
- the puds can be made in advance and stored with new wrapping and then reheated by steaming for an hour or so – they can be heated in the microwave but I’m not sure of timings!
Given your expertise I will expect the cake and pudding sent North by express delivery. I understand the Great Western do a service which will get the perishables to London from the south west in six hours and from that flesh pot of unresolved ambitions it is but 2 and a bit hours to Madchester
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Lol… I would make it with veggie suet!!
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