| 1 | Combine the suet, flour, sugar, bread crumbs, fruit and brandy. |
| 2 | Cover and allow to stand overnight. |
| 3 | Add the syrup and beaten eggs. |
| 4 | Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, and add to mixture. |
| 5 | Stir until everything"s combined. |
| 6 | (the mixture will be fairly thick. |
| 7 | My mother used to get help at this stage by telling us that if we stirred it three times and made a wish, the wish would come true. |
| 8 | This only works with christmas puddings). |
| 9 | Place in two 1 ?quart pudding basins, cover with paper and several layers of aluminum foil, and steam for 4 hours. |
| 10 | When you"re going to eat it, steam it for a further 2 hours. |
| 11 | Serve by turning it out of the bowl, and pouring flaming brandy over it (see below). |
| 12 | Serve with brandy butter (hard brandy sauce). |
| 13 | This pudding needs time to age between when you cook it and christmas. |
| 14 | My mother generally makes it about a month before. |
| 15 | Keep it in the refrigerator until the day you will be eating it. |
| 16 | Each pudding will serve about 8-10 people. |
| 17 | If you halve the recipe, use 3 eggs. |
| 18 | You can also add cherries, figs, almonds and so on when you"re adding the fruit. |
| 19 | Notes: * old-fashioned christmas boiled pudding -- this recipe was first written down by my great-grandmother. |
| 20 | It"s an old-fashioned boiled pudding, and was always a special part of christmas in my family. |
| 21 | Nana moon"s family came from sofala, the site of the 1851 gold rush in new south wales, australia, where they raised sheep (before the gold rush). |
| 22 | It"s probably based on an english recipe. |
| 23 | This recipe differs from others i"ve seen in that it uses no spices, just dried fruit and brandy. |
| 24 | Perhaps spices were too difficult to get, it tastes great anyway. |
| 25 | Makes two puddings. |
| 26 | * the suet can be replaced with some other form of shortening. |
| 27 | The packaged suet we used to be able to get in australia was only about 35 percent suet, the rest was cornflour (cornstarch). |
| 28 | Avoid that at all costs. |
| 29 | For a few years, we bought suet from the butcher and grated it ourselves (ok, we used a blender), but no one should have to do that (at least, not during an australian summer). |
| 30 | * if you decide to go for authenticity and use a pudding bag, here"s how: get a large piece of calico (it must have a tight weave), and boil it for a few minutes. |
| 31 | Rub flour into the inner surface. |
| 32 | Place ?the mixture on it, and bring the corners together, leaving room for the mixture to rise. |
| 33 | Tie with string. |
| 34 | Cook by immersing in boiling water, when you add extra water, it must be already boiling, or the pudding will get soggy. |
| 35 | The pudding will be rounder, and have a better crust than one steamed in a pudding bowl. |
| 36 | A good crust means that the brandy won"t soak in when you light it, so it"ll burn for longer. |
| 37 | Age the pudding by hanging it in a cool, dry place. |
| 38 | The problem with using a pudding bag is that it tends to grow mold if the climate is too humid. |
| 39 | * to light the pudding, heat about ?cup of brandy in a saucepan. |
| 40 | Light it, then pour over the pudding and carry it to the table. |
| 41 | : difficulty: moderate. |
| 42 | : time: 1 day waiting, 30 minutes preparation, 4 hours cooking, 1 month aging. |
| 43 | : precision: approximate measurement ok. |
