An Irish Favorite – Plum Pudding
It wouldn’t be Christmas in Ireland without the delicious plum pudding, an Irish favorite. Plum pudding certainly is not designed for swift cooking, but stored correctly it can last until Easter and the taste alone makes it worth the hours of boiling. When Christmas Day arrives, almost every Irish household will feast on plum pudding; why don’t you join them? Here is the recipe to make your own Irish plum pudding. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 12oz currants
- 4oz sultanas
- 4oz raisins
- 4oz mixed candied peel
- 8oz peeled and cored apples
- 1 lemon & 1 orange (grated rind and juice)
- 12oz shredded suet
- 2oz chopped almonds
- 2oz chopped walnuts
- 12oz plain flour
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 2 level teaspoon mixed spice
- 8oz soft brown sugar
- 8oz castor sugar
- 4oz glace cherries
- 12oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 7oz stout (Guinness)
Preparation:
Grease 3 pudding bowls of varying sizes. Place circular greased pieces of tin foil around the bottom of the bowls. Put the chopped nuts, peel, cherries, apples, lemon and orange rind into a large bowl. Add the flour, spice, salt, breadcrumbs, suet and sugars to it and mix well. Now add the lemon, orange juice, brandy and eggs and again mix well. It is an Irish tradition to ask each of the members of your family to stir the mixture for luck!
Now cover the mixture with a towel and leave overnight. This is very important. Next day, mix again and place the mixture into the prepared bowls. Don’t fill the bowls right up to the top. This leaves room for the pudding to expand when it is cooking. Cover with double layer of greased greaseproof paper and a layer of tin foil. Put each of the bowls in a large saucepan. Fill the saucepan half way up with boiling water and maintain this level by adding more boiling water during the cooking. A small saucer placed in the bottom of the saucepan prevents the pudding bowl from moving around.
Boiling Time:
- 2 pint pudding = 9 hours
- 1.5 pint pudding = 7 hours
- 1 pint pudding = 5 hours
** On the day you want to eat the pudding heat it up in a microwave, douse it in brandy and set it alight. When the fire has gone out serve with cream, custard or brandy butter.**