Regal Plum Pudding

By Wewah

(Plum Pudding evolved from a watery wheat porridge called Frumenty to a mixture of meat broth, cow's tongues, wine, spices and raisins--to what is known today. The work "plum" referred to the way the raisins plumped up in cooking. The English called it "Christmas Pudding" and couldn't imagine the holiday without it. Earlier recipes call for more suet and sugar.)

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread, torn in pieces
• 1 c milk
• 6 oz beef suet, ground
• 1 c packed brown sugar
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
• 1/4 c orange juice
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 c raisins
• 1 c snipped, pitted dates
• 1/2 c diced fruits and peels
• 1/2 chopped walnuts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground cloves
• 1 t ground mace
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• Fluffy Hard Sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Soak bread in milk and beat to break up.
Stir in ground suet, brown sugar, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.
In bowl combine raisins, dates, candied fruits and peels and nuts.
Stir together flour and spices; add to mixed fruits and -stir well.
Stir in bread-suet mixture and salt.
Pour into well-greased, two-quart mold (do not use ring mold or tube pan). Cover with foil and tie foil on tightly with string.
Place mold on rack in deep kettle; add boiling water to one inch deep in kettle.
Cover and steam pudding 3 1/2 hours; add more boiling water if needed. Cool the pudding about 10 minutes before removing from the mold.
Serve the pudding with Fluffy Hard Sauce.
Makes 16 servings.