A Pudding Full of Stories
This plum pudding is my Christmas book. Each bite tells a story. The fruits are like little sweet memories, all packed together. I make it every year for my family.
My own grandma taught me. She said the long steaming makes the flavors become friends. I still laugh at that. She was right. This matters because food made slowly tastes like love. It just does.
It’s Not What You Think
Now, this is not a creamy pudding. Oh no. It’s a dense, spiced cake. We steam it for hours. Doesn’t that smell amazing? The whole house fills with warmth.
Fun fact: “Plum” was an old word for any dried fruit! So our raisins and currants are the “plums.” I learned that years ago. It made me smile. What’s a food name that confused you when you were little?
The Magic of Waiting
Here is the big secret. You must let it rest. After cooking, you wrap it up tight. Then you wait for a week or more. This waiting is the magic.
The flavors get to know each other. They become deep and rich. This matters in cooking and in life. Good things often need a little patience. Do you have a recipe that gets better after a day or two?
The Shining Star Sauce
Now for the orange sauce. It is the shining star. You beat butter and sugar until it’s fluffy like a cloud. Then you add a little zing from the orange.
The mace spice is special. It tastes like a gentle nutmeg. This creamy sauce melts over the warm pudding. It is pure joy on a spoon. Which do you like more, the main dish or the sauce that goes with it?
A Grand Finale
To serve, we steam it again to warm it through. Then comes the fun part. You can add a little warm brandy and light it. Just for a show! The blue flames dance and then go out.
It makes everyone at the table gasp. It’s a grand finale for a special meal. It turns eating into a little celebration. And isn’t that a wonderful thing to share?
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dark raisins | 2 â…” cups (1 pound) | Roughly chop half of them |
| Dried currants | 2 cups (10 oz / 283g) | |
| Water | 2 cups | For simmering fruit |
| Fresh bread crumbs | 1 cup | |
| Dark brown sugar | 1 cup packed (7 oz / 198g) | |
| All-purpose flour | ¾ cup (3 ¾ oz / 106g) | |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons | |
| Ground ginger | 2 teaspoons | |
| Ground cloves | ½ teaspoon | |
| Table salt | 1 teaspoon | For pudding |
| Unsalted butter (cold) | ½ pound (227g) | For pudding |
| Large eggs | 4 | |
| Cream sherry (or amontillado) | ½ cup | For pudding |
| Brandy or cognac | ⅓ cup + ¼ cup (optional) | ⅓ cup for batter, ¼ cup optional for flambé |
| Candied citron | ¼ cup, finely chopped | Optional |
| Vegetable shortening | As needed | For greasing mold |
| Unsalted butter (softened) | ½ pound (227g) | For hard sauce |
| Confectioners’ sugar | 3 cups (12 oz / 340g) | For hard sauce |
| Orange zest | Finely grated from 1 orange | For hard sauce |
| Mace | ½ teaspoon | For hard sauce |
| Table salt | ¼ teaspoon | For hard sauce |
| Brandy or cognac | â…“ cup | For hard sauce |
| Cream sherry (or amontillado) | 2 tablespoons | For hard sauce |
Instructions
Step 1: Let’s start with the fruit. Chop half the dark raisins roughly. Put all the raisins and currants in a saucepan with the water. Boil it, then let it bubble softly. Stir it often until the water is nearly gone. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it cool completely. (A heavy pot stops the fruit from sticking and burning.)
Step 2: Now for the crumbs. Put bread crumbs, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt in a food processor. Whizz it until the sugar looks fine. Cut your cold butter into chunks and add it. Pulse until it looks like coarse, sandy crumbs. Doesn’t that smell amazing already?
Step 3: Grab a big bowl. Whisk the eggs until they get nice and foamy. Mix in the sherry and brandy. Stir your crumb mixture into this wet mix. Then, gently fold in all the cooled fruit and any sticky juices. Add the citron now if you’re using it.
Step 4: Grease your pudding mold very well with shortening. Spoon your batter in, but leave an inch of space at the top. Put the lid on tight. If your mold has no lid, use heavy-duty foil and crimp it tightly over the rim. This keeps the steam out.
Step 5: Place a rack in a large pot. Set your mold on the rack. Pour boiling water into the pot until it’s halfway up the mold. Cover the pot. Bring it back to a boil, then lower to a happy simmer. Let it steam for about 3 ½ hours. Check the water level now and then. What do you add if the water gets low? Share below!
Step 6: Let the mold cool until it’s just warm. Give it a little shake to loosen the pudding. Turn it out onto a sheet of foil. Wrap it tightly in two layers of foil. Let it sit in a cool spot for three days. Then, tuck it into the fridge for at least a week. This wait makes the flavors wonderful friends.
Step 7: On serving day, grease that mold again. Put the pudding back in. Steam it again for 2 to 3 hours. A knife poked in the center should come out hot. Turn it out onto a pretty plate. For a grand finish, warm a little brandy, drizzle it over, and carefully light it. Let the flames dance out before slicing.
Step 8: Make the hard sauce while the pudding steams. Beat the soft butter, sugar, orange zest, mace, and salt together. Start slow, then go faster until it’s fluffy. Scrape the bowl. Slowly drizzle in the brandy and sherry while mixing. Put it in a container and chill. Let it soften at room temperature before serving with your warm pudding.
Creative Twists
My grandkids love to help me dream up new versions. You can too! Try using dried cranberries instead of half the raisins. It gives a lovely little tartness. Or, add a handful of chopped pecans to the batter for a nice crunch. For the hard sauce, swap the orange zest for a teaspoon of lemon zest. It’s a brighter, sunshiny flavor. Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving & Pairing Ideas
A warm slice of this pudding is a hug on a plate. I love a dollop of softly whipped cream next to the hard sauce. A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top looks like fresh snow. For drinks, a small glass of sweet sherry is the classic choice. For the little ones, warm spiced apple cider is just perfect. The cinnamon in the cider sings with the spices in the pudding. Which would you choose tonight?
Keeping Your Pudding Happy
This pudding gets better with a little rest. After its first steam, wrap it tight in foil. Let it sit in a cool spot for three days. Then, pop it in the fridge for a week. This waiting time is magic. It lets all the lovely flavors get to know each other.
To freeze it, wrap the cooled pudding in two layers of plastic wrap. Then, add a layer of foil. It will keep for months. Thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight. I once forgot one in my freezer until spring. It tasted just as wonderful.
To reheat, just steam it again for a few hours. This makes your kitchen smell like a holiday. Batch cooking matters because it saves you time later. You can make joy ahead of a busy week. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Simple Fixes for Common Hiccups
Is your pudding too dry? The water in your pot probably boiled away. Always keep the water level halfway up the mold. Add more boiling water as it simmers. This gentle steam is what keeps it moist and rich.
Is the sauce too runny? Your butter might have been too soft. It should be cool to your touch. I remember when my first sauce was soupy. I just chilled it and beat it again. It turned out perfectly fluffy.
Worried about the flame? The optional flambé is just for fun. You can skip it. The warm brandy drizzle is delicious on its own. Fixing small issues builds your cooking confidence. Getting the texture right makes every bite a celebration. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Quick Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make this gluten-free? A: Yes. Use your favorite gluten-free flour and bread crumbs. The texture will be just a bit different.
Q: How far ahead can I make it? A: You can make the whole pudding weeks ahead. The flavor improves. The hard sauce keeps for a week in the fridge.
Q: What if I don’t have sherry? A: Use apple juice or strong tea instead. The taste will change, but it will still be good.
Q: Can I make a smaller one? A: Absolutely. Just halve the ingredients. Use a smaller mold and steam for less time.
Q: Is the citron important? A: It’s optional. It adds a nice chewy, bright bit. My grandson calls them “flavor sparkles.” Which tip will you try first?
A Final Word from My Kitchen
This recipe is a labor of love. It fills your home with the best smells. *Fun fact: Plum pudding doesn’t actually have plums! Old cooks used “plum” to mean any dried fruit.*
I hope you give it a try. Share a slice with someone you love. Tell me all about your adventure in the comments. I read every one. Have you tried this recipe? I would love to hear your story.
Happy cooking!
—Fiona Brooks.
Spiced Orange Mascarpone Plum Pudding
Description
A rich, festive steamed pudding packed with dried fruits and spices, served with a luxurious brandy-spiked orange-mace hard sauce.
Ingredients
For the Orange-Mace Hard Sauce:
Instructions
- For the Plum Pudding: Begin by roughly chopping half of the dark raisins. Place these, along with the whole raisins and the currants, into a heavy saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the liquid is almost gone. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool completely.
- In a food processor, blend the bread crumbs, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt until the sugar is fine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy, then mix in the sherry and brandy. Stir the crumb mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the cooled fruits and any juices, along with the citron if using.
- Generously grease a 2 ½- or 3-quart pudding mold with shortening. Fill the mold with the batter, leaving an inch of space at the top. Secure the mold’s lid or cover tightly with a sheet of heavy-duty foil, crimping it securely over the rim.
- Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot and set the mold on top. Pour boiling water into the pot until it reaches halfway up the mold. Cover the pot. Bring the water back to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a brisk simmer. Steam for about 3 ½ hours, adding more boiling water as needed to maintain the level.
- Let the mold cool until warm. Loosen the pudding by shaking the mold, then turn it out onto foil. Wrap the pudding tightly in two layers of foil or place it in a sealed bag. Let it rest at a cool room temperature for three days, then refrigerate for at least one week.
- To serve, grease the original mold again and return the pudding to it. Steam for 2 to 3 hours, until the center reaches 160°F or a knife inserted comes out hot. Invert onto a serving platter. For a flambé, gently warm the optional brandy, drizzle it over the pudding, and carefully ignite it. Serve in slices.
- For the Orange-Mace Hard Sauce: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, mace, and salt together. Start on low speed, then increase to medium-high, beating until very light and fluffy. Pause to scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer running, very slowly drizzle in the combined brandy and sherry until fully incorporated. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- *Note: This is an estimate based on the ingredients. Actual values can vary based on specific brands, optional ingredients used, and exact portion sizes. The recipe is high in sugars and saturated fats due to the dried fruits, butter, and sugar content.*
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