FIVE CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 75, 29 November 1940, Page 52

FIVE CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

And Tasty Sauces To Serve With Them

WO weeks ago I gave you some good Christmas cake recipes, and shortly I will give you some other good cakes to make in readiness for this jolly season of visits from old friends, so that there may be well-filled cake tins for all the holidays. This week I intend giving you some recipes for Christmas puddings, so that those who like to make several and put them away, ready to re-boil on Christmas Day and on other festive occasions, may get them cooked and off their minds before the fruit begins coming in. Remember that four or five, or even six hours’ boiling or steaming, is not too much for a good fruit pudding; the longer the better. Then, of course, another couple of hours on the great day itself. During the "waiting time" between the first cooking of the puddings and the day of serving, the cloths should be untied and allowed to dry thoroughly. They can then be tied over again and the pudding hung up by the knot in a dry place, so that there is no chance of mildew from a damp cloth. It is usual, nowadays, to boil or steam Christmas puddings in a basin, first covering the top with a buttered paper before tying the cloth over.

Economy, without stinginess or sacrifice of food-value, is our aim during these days of wartime, so we shall begin with an Eggless Christmas Pudding (from Papanui, Christchurch). All measurements are level, and the cup is an 80z. measuring cup. Sift together % cup flour, 4% teaspoon baking soda, 1% teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoon mace, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1% teaspoon ground cloves, 44 teaspoon allspice, and % teaspoon ginger. Add to all this 4% cup of brown sugar, 1% cup finely minced suet, or eshreddo, 14 cup washed and dried currants, a third of a cup of washed and dried sultanas, a third of a cup of seeded raisins, a third of a cup of finely shredded mixed peel, third of a cup of blanched almonds or cachew nuts, % cup grated raw carrot, 4 cup grated raw potato, 42 cup grated raw apple, % teaspoon grated lemon rind, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Combine all thoroughly, turn into a greased pudding basin, filling it two-thirds full. Cover with greased paper, and tie down. Steam three hours. Store in a cool, dry place. Re-steam for serving. R.A.F. Christmas Pudding (£ggless) This was sent in from Seatoun, Well- ington, and was described as "a good

Christmas pudding for our soldier boys." One pound of flour, 1lb. stoned raisins, 1lb. currants, 4% to %21b. mixed peel, 1lb. grated raw potato, 1lb. grated suet, and a small cup of sugar if desired. Prepare the fruit, mix all the ingredients well together, and boil for four hours or more. Melbourne Plum Pudding This is a really rich pudding. One pound each of seeded raisins, currants, shredded suet, and breadcrumbs, 3 small apples, 2 teaspoons mixed spice, a little salt, 4%4lb. flour, 4lb. brown sugar, about

14 pint of milk, 5 eggs, and 3 ounces of mixed peel. Mix together all the dry ingredients except the sugar. Put the eggs into a separate basin, and beat them well

with the sugar, add a little milk, mix this with the dry ingredients. Boil or steam for 5 hours or more, Pudding without Suet This is a very light pudding, and not as heating as those made with suet. Eight ounces of butter, 6 oz. light brown sugar, 4 eggs, 10 oz. flour, 11b. sultanas, ¥21b. raisins, 1lb. currants, 2 oz. grated lemon peel, 20z. grated orange peel, 2oz. almonds, a few cherries, %4lb. preserved ginger, grated rind of 4% lemon, and a grating of orange rind, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 12 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, % teaspoon each of almond, rum and vanilla essence, 1% teaspoon ground ginger, and 4 teaspoon salt. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add the eggs one by one, beating very hard between each one. If the mixture curdles a little add some of the measured flour. When all the eggs are in, sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, and add fruit and other ingredients, and again mix well. Three parts fill a buttered basin, cover with buttered paper, and steam quickly from 4 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the basin. It may be left in the basin till the day it is used, when it should be steamed again for 2 or 3 hours. A rum sauce is very nice with this. Economical Wholemeal Pudding Four ounces of butter, 6 oz. light brown sugar, 2 cups wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 42 teaspoon baking powder, Y2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 4% teaspoon ground ginger, 2 eggs, 1 cup water, 144 cups each of currants, sultanas and raisins, 42 cup grated mixed peel, 2oz. blanched almonds if desired, and 1 teaspoon mixed essences. Bring the water, sugar, butter and fruit to boiling point, and simmer for five minutes. Stand aside till cold. Sift the dry ingredients into this fruit mixture, add the nuts, and then whip in the eggs one by one. Put into a buttered basin with a piece of buttered paper on top, and steam for four hours or longer. Sauces Really rich cream is the easiest and the most delicious sauce to serve with Christmas pudding, but you may also use "hard sauce." This is really tasty, and was given to me in America. Quarter of a pound of fresh butter, %4lb. castor sugar, 1 or 2 tablespoons of sherry or brandy, and 2o0z. of ground almonds. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, add brandy or sherry, and the ground almonds, and serve piled upon a dish, The almonds may be omitted, but are a delightful addition. Rum Sauce About 3 tablespoons of cornflour, 2 cups of water, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 1. tablespoon: of butter, % cup of rum, or 1 teaspoon of rum flavouring. Moisten (Continued on next page)