CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 286, 15 December 1944, Page 22

CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

| OST of us, in New Zealand, do not keep up the old traditional custom of cooking half a dozen or more Christmas Puddings a few weeks before Christmas, and producing one of these on festive occasions through the year, Nevertheless, it is a good idea to make at least two, one | for Christmas, and one for New Year; because it does save trouble on those two happy days, when Mother naturally wants to be fairly. free to enjoy herself with the party, and yet to pridefully produce a REAL Christmas dinner. Besides, some of the Boys are already home! The Cooking:-The longer a good rich Christmas Pudding is boiled, the better flavoured it is. Be sure to have the water boiling fast when the pudding is put in, and keep it boiling properly all the time. In olden times, people generally used the wash-house copper; nowadays the majority of city dwellers, at any rate, haven’t a copper at all. So boil your pudding in a big saucepan, keeping the lid on tightly. Even so, some steam may escape during the four hours the pudding needs; so watch it, and add more BOILING water if neces- sary. When you take it out, see that the cloth gets dry fairly soon. A thick knot of damp cloth may make the pudding go mouldy on top. On the day of eating, put it again into BOILING water and give it a couple of hours more cooking, Very Rich Christmas Pudding (Makes four large ones) Probably we shall all use the packaged mixed fruit, because all the separate ingredients are not available. However, I will give the original recipe. One pound flour, 144 Ibs. breadcrumbs, 14 Ib. apples, peeled and chopped, 2 Ibs. finely shredded suet, 242 Ibs. sugar, 2 lbs. each of ‘raisins, currants and sultanas, 2 Ib. mixed peel, % lb. almonds, blanched and chopped, 1 tablespoon spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, juice and grated rind of two lemons and two oranges, 12 eggs, a small glass each of brandy and of rum OR milk in place of spirits. Mix all dry ingredients very well together; beat the eggs well, and add them with the fruit--juice and other liquid to the pudding mixture, Mix very well. Cover over with tea-towel, and let stand 24 hours before putting into greased basins and boiling for at least six hours. Keep in cool place for some weeks before using. Sensible Christmas Pudding (With suet) One cup flour, ¥% lb. breadcrumbs, 1% lb. shredded suet, 1 cup brown sugar. 2% lbs. mixed fruit, 1 tablespoon cinnamon or mixed spice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup weak coffee, or milk, 4 eggs (or 3 and 1 teaspoon baking powder). Mix all dry ingredients well. Beat eggs and stir in thoroughly; add other liquid and mix well. Cook in greased moulds or basins 3 or 4 hours, and another two hours when using. Chef's Christmas Pudding (Cheap) ° One cup flour, 2 cups mixed fruit, 1 teaspoonful ground ginger, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon spice. Boil 2 tablespoons dripping in a teacup

of milk. When boiling, add 1 teaspoon baking soda-put milk in a large saucepan, as it fluffs up when soda is added. Stir into dry ingredients, adding a pinch of salt. Steam or boil for 3 or 4 hours. More fruit and nuts may be added if desired, also the finely grated rind of fresh oranges or lemons, Wholemeal Christmas Pudding (Cheap) One cup wholemeal, 1 cup milk beaten with one egg, 1 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs, 1 cup fruit (or more), 1 cup shredded suet, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, a little essence or spice. Mix altogether. Add 1 small teaspoon soda dissolved in a little boiling water last. Steam 3 hours in a basin. Family Christmas Pudding (No eggs) Four ozs. finely chopped suet, 4 ogs, breadcrumbs, 4 ozs. flour, 4 ozs. sugar, 1 Ib, mixed fruit, 1 large cup milk, 1 teaspoon baking soda. Boil the milk and suet for a few minutes then pour it over the breadcrumbs and sugar. When nearly cold, mix in the flour and fruit. Mix the soda in a little warm milk, and add to other ingredients. Boil 24% to 3 hours. Good Christmas Pudding (With butter) Six ounces butter, 6 ozs, brown sugar, 2 ozs. breadcrumbs, 4% Ib. flour, 2 Ibs. mixed fruit, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, saltspoon salt, 1 small teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon milk, 5 eggs, 1 glass brandy (optional). Cream butter and sugar well; add eggs; then flour, breadcrumbs and fruit; and milk and soda. Cook 3 to 4 hours. Christmas Pudding (No flour) One pound each of breadcrumbs, suet, sugar, mixed fruit, a little salt, the grated rind of two lemons and juice of one, 4 eggs, a glass of brandy (optional). Mix well, Cook 5 hours. Make some days before Christmas. ‘ellied Christmas Pudding . Two dessertspoons ('%% oz.) gelatine, 2 cups milk, 4% cup hot water, 2 dessertspoons cocoa or chocolate, % cup chopped nuts and lemon peel, % cup raisins, 1% cup chopped dates or figs, % cup chopped ginger or currants-(or a good 1% cups mixed fruit), 3 tablespoons sugar, pinch of salt, vanilla and lemon essence. Place milk and cocoa in saucepan and bring to: boiling point, Add all ingredients except gelatine and flavouring; boil for five mihutes. Let cool, add vanilla essence to taste, and a few drops of. lemon; dissolve gelatine in hot water, add to mixture, stirring all well together. Put into a wet mould. Decorate with holly and serve with custard, MINCE PIES FOR CHRISTMAS INCE pies are as essential for a real English Christmas dinner as the Christmas Pudding itself. The pastry should be flaky, though most people prefer a good short crust, and this is certainly. better for children. Make mince pies in. rather big patty pans, and don’t be mean (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) with the mincemeat. Pile it in generously, and cover with a fairly thin top crust. Decorate the edges with a fork. Old-fashioned Mincemeat One cup shredded suet, 1 cup chopped apples, 1 lb. mixed fruit, chopped, the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, a little nutmeg and spice, and a cup of brown sugar. Mix with a little brandy or rum, and keep in airtight jars. Instead of spirits, you may use Rum flavouring and Brandy flavouring essence + 2 teaspoons of each. Christmas Mincemeat (Special) One pound of shredded suet, two pounds apples grated without peeling, % to 1 Ib, light brown or raw sugar, good pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon almond flavouring, 4 teaspoon each of rum and vanilla flavouring, 42 teaspoon salt, 2 Ibs. currants, 1 lb. sultanas, 1 lb. raisinsall chopped, 4% Ib, mixed peel, ¥% Ib. preserved ginger, 4% lb. almonds (or you could use 4 to 5 Ibs. of the packaged mixed fruit), grated rind of 1 lemon and % orange, 14 Ib. prunes stoned and chopped, and % Ib. dried apricots, minced; 4% cup rum is an improvement, but not essential. Mincemeat is improved if made several weeks or months before being used. Mix all the ingredients well together, Put into ‘a large preserving bottle, and stand till ready for use, Scottish Wartime Mincémeat Six ozs. shredded suet, 4% Ib, dates (if available), 3% lb. peeled apples, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 10 ozs. bought dried fruit, 2. tablespoons lemon substitute, % Ib. prunes, 6 ozs. light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon rum, 2 tablespoons orange marmalade. Put the apples, dates and stoned prunes through a mincer into a basin. Stir in suet, sugar, spice and salt. Add whatever mixture of bought dried fruit you can obtain, or make it up with home-dried fruit and put through mincer, Stir in lemon substitute or diluted lemon squash, rum and marmalade. Mix well. Leave overnight in covered basin. Pot next day. Cover like jam. Store in dry, dark airy cupboard.