'TIS THE SEASON

Hello

Christmas preparation has been going apace at the Red Cardinal nest.

Last week I made our Christmas Plum Pudding, the old-fashioned way, boiled in a calico cloth:

I had a request to post the recipe, so it will be at the end of this post.

Festive bouquets at the shoppes...

Dear Mr Cardinal put one in the shopping cart for me...

It is the time for meeting friends, and exchanging sweet gifts...

A filled this bag with her delectable Rum Balls.

We have been out in the neighborhood looking at the prize winners of the Christmas lights competition...

All is now ready for the arrival of family for the next few days...

The fridge and pantry are packed with festive food, outfits chosen for Church and Christmas activities...

Presents wrapped and under the tree, stockings hanging invitingly..

Soon....

XXXXX

Meca's Plum Pudding, a family favourite:

Ingredients: 375g mixed dried fruit

2 tablespoons Bundaberg Rum 

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup Self Raising flour

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1 green apple, peeled, cored and grated

1 teaspoon lemon essence

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

plain flour for flouring the cloth

Equipment:

60 cm square of unbleached calico (I have seen my mother in law use an old well-worn linen tea towel for this, then throw it away)

large cooking pot with handles on either side

stand to place inside the pot, eg a wire cake rack

string

rubber gloves 

Put mixed fruit in a bowl, pour the rum over, and soak in fridge overnight.

Boil water in cooking pot, boil the cloth in the pot for about an hour.  Put on rubber gloves, remove the calico cloth, wring out excess water.  Set wet cloth aside but don't let it dry out.  Retain water in pot.

In medium saucepan, combine soaked fruit, brown sugar and butter.  Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, and it begins to boil.  Transfer mixture to large bowl, cool to room temperature.

Whisk 3 eggs with fork and stir into fruit mix.  Add breadcrumbs, SR flour, bi-carb soda, grated apple, lemon essence and spices and mix well.

Top up water in pot, bring to boil.  Meanwhile spread pudding cloth on bench, sprinkle enough plain flour on the cloth to cover an area 40cm in diameter, leaving flour a little thicker in the centre.

Place pudding mixture in centre of cloth, gather cloth evenly around the mixture, avoiding any deep pleats, then pat into round shape.  Tie cloth tightly with string, as close to mixture as possible.  It is easiest to do this with a friend helping.  Pull ends of cloth tightly to ensure pudding is as round and firm as possible.  Do not worry if it looks small, as it will get bigger.  Knot two pairs of corners together to make the pudding easier to remove.

Place stand on bottom of pot so pudding does not stick and burn.  Lower pudding into boiling water, tying the free ends of the string to the pot handles to suspend the pudding.  Cover boiler with tight-fitting lid and boil for 3 hours, replenishing water as necessary to maintain water level near top of pudding.

To move, untie pudding from handles (I cut with scissors).  Place a wooden spoon through the knotted calico loops to lift from water.  Place pudding in large colander, cut the string and carefully peel back the cloth.  Turn pudding onto a plate, carefully peel cloth completely and allow to cool.  It is important to remove the cloth while pudding is hot to prevent skin sticking to the cloth.

After pudding has come to room temperature, wrap it in plastic wrap and store in fridge for up to 2 months.

When ready to eat, boil in calico cloth again as before for 1 hour.

Or do as we do and microwave it!

Serve while hot with vanilla ice cream, cream and custard.

Enjoy.