| 1 | Combine the dried fruits and peels in a large bowl and sprinkle with cognac. |
| 2 | Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (or longer - in which case you may want to add more cognac). |
| 3 | To the fruits in the large bowl, add nuts and suet. |
| 4 | Resift flour with the baking soda, salt and spices; then sift over the fruit mixture while tossing and mixing with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the dry ingredients. |
| 5 | Stir in jam and brown sugar. |
| 6 | Prepare the bread crumbs (use the food processor, removing crusts first if they are crusty and hard). |
| 7 | Sprinkle bread crumbs into the sherry, mixing with a fork. |
| 8 | Add to the fruit mixture. |
| 9 | Add the beaten egg yolks; mix thoroughly. |
| 10 | Last, fold in beaten egg whites. |
| 11 | Prepare two pudding molds. |
| 12 | This recipe makes enough for one 2-quart mold, and the remainder can be steamed in a coffee can - a 26-ounce can makes a round pudding about 3" tall. |
| 13 | (you could make one huge pudding if you have a container). |
| 14 | Grease molds with butter and then sprinkle them with sugar or dust with flour. |
| 15 | Arrange candied cherries in molds, if desired (cherries should be dusted with flour). |
| 16 | Fill 2-quart mold no more than 2/3 full with batter. |
| 17 | Cover pudding mold with its lid, fasten with clamps or tie on securely. |
| 18 | For the coffee can, cover with its plastic lid, tie it on and wrap all with aluminum foil. |
| 19 | (the plastic will split). |
| 20 | For a bowl without a lid, cover the top with layered waxed paper tied down securely, then do the same with aluminum foil. (continued |