Christmas Pudding

[Mad Cook]

You should be able to get suet from a butcher shop.

Trouble is, it's a pig to deal with when you buy it from the butcher. You have to peel away any membrane and put it through the mincer or shred it with a knife. But needs must when the devil calls, I suppose.

 

[Mad Cook]

Sitting and sharing it with the Queen.

It would be a great honour for her to be invited to take take tea with the distinguished members of DC. We'd better tell her not to bring those damned corgis. We don't know if they're house trained.

 

[Mad Cook]

I am also a big fan of fruitcake, with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and a cup of tea.

It costs so much to make one these days that I think it is a better value to buy one.

The folks at Collins Street Bakery in Texas do a great job.

If you order once you will get junk mail for the rest of your life, but it's worth it, lol!

https://www.collinstreet.com/pages/online_bakery/all_deluxe_fruitcakes

How very English - fruit cake, cheese and a cup of tea. And very northern, I think - Yorkshire and Lancashire I think.

Although a friend who lives in Birmingham (ours, not yours) likes very rich marzipan-ed and iced Christmas cake spread very thickly with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. Even I draw the line at that!

 

[Addie]

It would be a great honour for her to be invited to take take tea with the distinguished members of DC. We'd better tell her not to bring those damned corgis. We don't know if they're house trained.

I have this image of a big pile of poop in the middle of those huge red carpeted stairs at Buckingham.

 

[Aunt Bea]

How very English - fruit cake, cheese and a cup of tea. And very northern, I think - Yorkshire and Lancashire I think.

Although a friend who lives in Birmingham (ours, not yours) likes very rich marzipan-ed and iced Christmas cake spread very thickly with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. Even I draw the line at that!

No marzipan or cream cheese on my fruitcake, thank you.

In our home we have always served sharp cheese with pie and other very sweet desserts, I'm not sure if it was a tradition handed down from colonial New England or from my English city Grandmother.

The last of the dried out old fruitcake was always served with a warm cornstarch based nutmeg sauce poured over it. That tradition I'm sure came from my Grandmother's side of the family.

I have always been curious about English baking. Most recipes use much less sugar than our standard recipes, a wise idea. Do you think that is a carryover from rationing or is it a more deeply rooted tradition.

 

[Addie]

How very English - fruit cake, cheese and a cup of tea. And very northern, I think - Yorkshire and Lancashire I think.

Although a friend who lives in Birmingham (ours, not yours) likes very rich marzipan-ed and iced Christmas cake spread very thickly with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. Even I draw the line at that!

We have so many cities and towns that were named after the places in England where the settlers put down their roots. Starting with Plymouth, where the pilgrims landed.

 

[Mad Cook]

Here you are SomeBunny

Christmas Pudding
Ingredients
4oz self-raising flour + a pinch of salt
1 level teaspoon mixed spice ½ level teasp ground cinnamon ¼ teasp freshly ground nutmeg
8 oz shredded beef suet 8oz fresh white breadcrumbs
Grated rind and juice of a lemon & an orange 12 oz soft brown sugar (I use the dark sort)
2 oz blanched chopped almonds
8 oz each seedless raisins, zante currants and sultanas (= golden raisins) + 4oz each chopped candied peel and prunes (soaked if necessary) pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons of treacle (Optional. We don’t like it so I never put it in)
2-3 tablespoons of rum or brandy (more if you like!)
1/2 an English pint (10F oz) Stout such as Guinness (I use Mackeson which is a touch less bitter than Guinness)
A large carrot, grated (more traditional than essential but it seems to add something)

2 pudding basins holding approx 2 pints + 2 large saucepans

Method
Sift the flour, spices and salt into a (very) large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the liquids. Mix well, I use clean hands.
If using the treacle warm it slightly to make it thin and runny and add to the orange and lemon juices and the rum or brandy and stir well. Beat the eggs well and add to the treacle-rum mixture. Add this and the Guinness to the bowl. Mix very well with a large spoon, making sure you get down to the bottom and mix everything in. It should be moist but not wet and well mixed.
Cover with a cloth and leave over night
Next morning stir up the mix adding a little milk if rather dry. Call family to stir and make a wish. Grease pudding basins with butter and fill with the mix to within 1 inch at the top and smooth over.
Cover with double thickness of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, folding a pleat in the paper to allow for the pudding to rise, and try securely with string.
Place each pudding on an up-turned saucer in a large saucepan with boiling water to come a third of the way up the outside of the bowl. Cover the pan and steam gently for 5-6 hours. Top up the boiling water from time to time.
When the puddings are cooked and cooled remove the damp paper and replace it with fresh ungreased paper. Tie securely and store in a cool but airy place until required, Do not cover airtight or mould may develop.
This makes a pudding for this year and one for next year or to give to a friend. They serve 5-6 people.
On Christmas morning cover with fresh buttered paper and steam briskly for 2 hours. As well as heating them this will make them darker. Serve with whatever sauce you prefer. Either dish up in the kitchen or for traditional drama, heat a little brandy or rum and pour it, lighted , over the pudding and take it to table in flames. (Don’t over-do the burning alcohol as you want to leave the Fire Brigade at home to enjoy their own Christmas dinner)

 

[Aunt Bea]

Thank you for the recipe!

When I was reading it I had a flashback to one of our old friends on DC, Bolas De Fraile!

Bolas introduced us to Fanny Cradock!

Fanny Cradock Cooks Christmas Puddings *HQ* - YouTube

 

[Addie]

Mad Cook, your expression of "I use clean hands" reminds me of America's beloved Julia Child. She would always say in that high pitched voice of hers. "with impeccable clean hands". Everything had to be "impeccably clean." Even the towel she used.

 

[Addie]

When measuring out the treacle, if you grease or spray (Spam) the measuring device, (spoon, cup, etc.) it will flow right into the recipe and leave none behind. The same goes for any recipe that calls for honey or any item that is sticky.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Oh I love fanny !!!

 

[Mad Cook]

Thank you for the recipe!

When I was reading it I had a flashback to one of our old friends on DC, Bolas De Fraile!

Bolas introduced us to Fanny Cradock!

Fanny Cradock Cooks Christmas Puddings *HQ* - YouTube

I hope you aren't comparing me to her. I may be mad but I'm not totally certifiable!

In my youth there was a radio comedy programme called "Beyond Our Ken" and one of the recurring characters was called "Fanny Haddock" played by Betty Marsden. It was Fanny Craddock to the life and so funny. Listening to repeats recently I'm surprised FC didn't sue!

To be fair to the woman I make a tarte tatin to her instructions from one of the first cookery books I ever bought. It's very good and stands up well to French recipes for the dish

 

[Mad Cook]

Mad Cook, your expression of "I use clean hands" reminds me of America's beloved Julia Child. She would always say in that high pitched voice of hers. "with impeccable clean hands". Everything had to be "impeccably clean." Even the towel she used.

Well yes, you can see her point. JC and my mother too!

I was making a sly reference to Ina Garten who is big on "clean hands" accompanied by said hands waving at the camera.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I hope you aren't comparing me to her. I may be mad but I'm not totally certifiable!

In my youth there was a radio comedy programme called "Beyond Our Ken" and one of the recurring characters was called "Fanny Haddock" played by Betty Marsden. It was Fanny Craddock to the life and so funny. Listening to repeats recently I'm surprised FC didn't sue!

To be fair to the woman I make a tarte tatin to her instructions from one of the first cookery books I ever bought. It's very good and stands up well to French recipes for the dish

I enjoy Fanny, the videos always make the tasks seem much less daunting!

I have a picture of her in my mind, waving about a very long cigarette while sipping a very large cocktail, perhaps her second or third!

Fanny reminds me of a few family holidays at my Aunt's house, when I was growing up! Arriving for dinner when the turkey was still sitting in the sink waiting to be stuffed and the old girls were sitting in the front room fuming and fussing, whispering at the top of their lungs! The holiday season is a magical time of year for families!