CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS AND SAUCES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 387, 22 November 1946, Page 23

CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS AND SAUCES

E like to make our Christmas Puddings ahead, and then we can re-heat them at Christmas time. However, with the cheaper puddings, which taste so rich but have a lot of substitutes in, they, are best made fresh. Of course, we don’t need to use butter now -we can use our good cod-fat-and a nice sauce helps ,the pudding along. Christmas puddings are traditionally boiled in a cloth, but lots of us now boil them in a basin, and’ just turn them out into a clean cloth to keep them till Christmas time. I will give some economical recipes, as well as a couple of good rich ones, Chef’s Christmas Pudding Mix together 1 cup of flour; 2 cups of mixed fruit; 1 cup of breadcrumbs; 1 cup of sugar; 1 teaspoon of spice, and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger; also, of course, a pinch of salt. Now boil 2 tablespoons of dripping in a teacup of milk. Use a big saucepan, and when boiling add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. It all "fluffs up." Stir it into the dry ingredients, and steam or boil 3 or 4 hours. More fruit can be added if liked, and peel also. It seems a thin mixture. Suet Christmas Pudding One large cup of breadcrumbs; 14% cups of flour; 1 cup of finely shredded suet; 3%4 teacup of brown sugar; 1lb. of mixed fruit; 1 teaspoon of baking powder; 2 beaten eggs; %2 teaspoon of soda; 1 teaspoon of spice; 1 teaspoon of cinnamon; ¥% teaspoon of nutmeg; % teaspoon of almond essence; 44 teaspoon of lemon essence; and 1% cup of milk. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a basin; add the essences to ‘the milk, add the beaten eggs to the milk, and mix everything together. It needs about 3% hours steaming, and makes quite a large pudding. R.A.F. Christmas Pudding One cup each of-grated raw potato, grated raw carrot; grated raw. apple; sugar; shredded suet; flour; breadcrumbs; currants; sultanas; raisins; mixed together. Add also a piece of peel; 1 teaspoon of mixed spice; 2 tablespoons of sago, if, you have it; a good pinch of salt; and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Now add 1 well-beaten egg; 1 teaspoon almond essence; 1 tablespoon of brandy which is optional; and milk to mix. Boil it for four hours or longer. Wholemeal Christmas Pudding One: cup each of-wholemeal; wholemeal breadcrumbs; shredded suet; brown sugar; fruit-or more if liked; and 1 egg beaten with 1 cup of milk. Also add a good pinch of salt, essences to taste, or spice. Mix all together in the usual way, and lastly add 1 small teaspoon of soda in a little boiling water. Steam 3 to 4 hours in a basin. : Cold Christmas Pudding Two dessertspoons of gelatine; 2 cups of milk; % cup of hot water; 2 dessertspoons of cocoa; % cup of chopped nuts and lemon peel; % cup of raisins; 14

cup of chopped dates or figs; 4% cup of chopped ginger or currants (or a good 144 cups of mixed fruit), 3 tablespoons of sugar; a pinch of salt, and vanilla and lemon essences. Put the milk and cocoa in a saucepan, and bring to boiling point. Add all the ingredients except the gelatine and flavouring, and boil for 5 minutes. Let it cool, add the essences. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water, and add to the mixture, stirring it all well together. Put it into a wet mould. Turn out when set, decorate with holly and serve with custard or cream. Rich Christmas Pudding Half a pound of butter; ¥2I1b. of brown sugar, 1lb. of sultanas; 421b. of raisins; 1Zlb. of mixed peel; %4lb. of breadcrumbs; 14lb. of flour; 4 eggs; % teaspoon of salt; % packet of spice; half a teacup of brandy; and loz. of chopped almonds. Cream the butter and sugar, add the beaten egg, then breadcrumbs and sifted flour, salt and spice, then the fruit, peel, nuts, and lastly brandy. Steam 5 hours. Southern U.S.A. Recipe This is an old recipe, and comes from the southern states. It makes a lovely pudding. One cup of stale breadcrumbs; 1 cup of hot milk; 1 beaten egg; 1 cup of sugar; 1 heaped cup_of flour; 1 cup of butter and shredded ‘suet mixed; ¥% cup of wine, and 4% cup of brandy; 1 cup of raisins; 1 cup of currants; 42 cup of cherries; 1 cup of dates; 1 cup of candied pineapple (which we can’t get now-so omit it); 1 cup of figs; 4% cup of almonds; % cup of walnuts; 1 teaspoon of allspice; 1 teaspoon of cinnamon; 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Chop the fruit and nuts, and leave them to soak for several hours in the wine and brandy. Pour the hot milk over the breadcrumbs. Add the egg well beaten, sugar, and finely chopped butter and suet. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, and add to the mixture. Now add the fruit, and beat well. Steam in a greased basin about 3 hours. os Sauce for the Pudding Add 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of creamed butter, then add 1 beaten egg. : Beat well, then thin with brandy. If you : have no brandy, use essence and water to thin it; or cream and vanilla. Brandy or Sherry Sauce Two pints of boiling water; 1% tablespoons of golden syrup; 1 tablespoon of cornflour or custard powder; a pinch of. salt; and a wineglass of sherry or brandy, Mix the golden syrup qnd cornflour or custard powder, to a paste. Add the salt, then pour over the boiling water, and simmer five minutes. Then add the sherry or brandy. : Hard Brandy Sauce Cream % cup of butter until light. Add gradually 1 cup of icing sugar, free from lumps. Then add 1 teaspoon of brandy flavouring, or brandy to taste, and one stiffly beaten egg white.