36 - Wednesday, November 8. 1989 - North Shore News

Foop

Make an oid-fashioned plum pudding

ANYONE CAN run to the store and buy fruit cakes, plum puddings and a host of other Christmas goodies. Many are

delicious. Most are expensive.

Aside from the money saving involved with doing your own bak- ing, there’s something about the whole process that brings back the Christmas tradition.

Many years ago, our present News managing editor, Barrett Fisher, asked me for a recipe for plum pudding.

I handed her the following reci- pe, complete with several pages of

budget beaters

Barbara McCreadie

instructions. Did you ever make it, Barrett?

This is another very old recipe. It is absolutely traditional in every detail — one bit would transport your great-grandmother back to her childhood in England.

It comes from Nova Scotia where my family settled in the late 1700s, but the measurements have been modernized — no more ‘‘one wineglass’’ of this and ‘‘a teacup- ful’ of that.

The only uncertain amount is the warm water added at the end. Watch for the note on that subject.

Traditional Plum Pudding

This makes two puddings, about seven inches in diameter and five inches deep.

Since the puddings are steamed, not baked, pyrex mixing bowls may be used as cooking molds. I have one traditional, Muted mold, with a spring-type lid, and if you're a purist you may get lucky and find one at a specialty kitchen equipment shop. Mine is easily 40 years old but works like a hot damn.

1 ib. dates, snipped into small pieces with wet, kitchen scissors 1 pound seedless raisins

% tb. candied citron peel (diced) 1 cup soft bread crumbs

VY, Ib. suet, crumbled

1 cup molasses

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¥Y teaspoon cloves

V2 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

cup brown sugar

warm water

Combine the fruit with crumbs, suet and molasses. Stir dry ingre- dients together until well blended. Add to fruit mixture. The batter wiil be very stiff.

Now, for the warm water. Do not use tap water from the hot tap — use slightly cooled, freshly boil- ed water from the cold tap.

Add by small quantities, starting with about % cupful, until batter is still thick — it won't drop from a spoon, but is ‘‘stirable’’ if you put some muscle into it.

Turn into well-greased molds, cover with waxed paper and then tinfoil, tied tightly in place with string. Steam four hours.

To improvise a steamer: A can- ner with a rack is ideal. Keep the water below the level of the mold and simmering gently. Replenish water as needed from a boiling kettle. Keep the Hid on the steamer except when filling.

If you don’t have a canner, any very deep, lidded pot will do.

Improvise a rack: A metal vegetable steamer works. Four rinsed soup tins, each weighted down with a rock and topped with a wire sack will do the job. The idea is to keep the mold above the level of the water so you can use the stand that holds your fondue pot. Even a cradle of string is a

possibility.

To store, wrap tughtly and refrigerate. If made several weeks ahead it is wise to freeze the pud- dings. They are so moist that they could possibly spoil.

To serve: Warm, tightly wrap-

4t

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ped, ina slow oven or in @ micro- wave on half power. Top with a sprig of holly and douse the pud- ding with brandy. Light, just as you enter the dining room.

Serve with:

Hard Sauce

A fittle of this goes a long way. A full recipe is enough for 10 to 12 people, half the recipe for six to eight.

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42 cup softened butter (real) 1 cup icing sugar U tablespoon brandy (or substitute Yr teaspoon vanilla and one czy white) nulmeg to garnish

Whip butter, sugar and brandy until fluffy. Mound into serving

dish, dust with nutmeg, cover tightly and chill. ee te

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PAIN

fowish thar Po had a com- plicated, traditional, old-family recipe for shortbread. To clarify that, Pye got all sorts of those but E don't use them.

Touse the recipe that has been printed on the side of the Canada’? brand cornstarch box for as long as | can remember. It’s easy, never fails and is relatively inexpensive to make.

NTINUED

PER

SINGLE ROLL