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From:
Subject: Re: [Q-R] ISO Steamed Fruitcake recipe
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 13:07:41 EST


Plum pudding was a holiday staple in our house as I was growing up, as was
fruitcake. It was a tradition that originated with my English gggrandparents
who immigrated to Illinois in 1830 & 1855. My children and husband don't
like it, so the tradition has died in our family. My mother made 'hard sauce'
as a topping. It was made by whipping butter until very light, adding
powdered sugar, a little bitters and brandy to taste. She used suet instead of
butter, which I think is traditional. My mother-in-law's parents were English
immigrants to NY. Her mother made a hot lemony-brandy sauce for it. I found a
delicious recipe in The Joy of Cooking and like it better than the hard
sauce. Plum pudding is called "plum pudding", because raisins were called plums
at one time in England.

True to my mother's southern heritage, I make pecan pie at Christmas and, if
my kids are home, either pumpkin or apple.

Brenda


In a message dated 1/3/2008 6:06:53 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
writes:

Good Morning Elaine,

What you describe sounds like Plum Pudding or Steamed Pudding to me.
Not French, you could say it belongs to "La Haute WASP" cooking. ;-)

Of course, this very tasty pudding was soon incorporated in our culinary
tradition, under the name of Pudding de Noël.

Here is my recipe. You will nee:

1 cup of bread crumb;
1 Cup flour;
1 cup brown sugar;
1/2 cup butter;
1/2 cup Sultana raisins;
1/2 cup candied citrons;
2 t. sp. baking powder;
1 t. sp. Jamaican allspice;
3 eggs;
1 cup milk;
1/2 cup chopped nuts;
1 cup currants;

For the icing, you will need:

1 cup maple syrup (local adaptation ;-) )
2 egg white beaten to stiff peaks

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the brown sugar well, then add the
eggs and beat to a froth;
In a second bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Progressively add this flour
mixture to the egg mixture alternating with the milk, and mix only until
all the flour has been moistened. Next, add the dry fruits and the nuts
and mix them in.

Pour this mixture into a round 8 cups (2 litres) mold, or if your
prefer, in a large coffee tin. Cover the mold with a sheet of wax paper
and fasten down with string, then cover with aluminum foil. Place the
mold or coffee tin in a large pan and fill the pan with water until it
reaches 2/3 of the mold in height. Bring to a boil, on stove top, then
cover the pan and set to simmer on very low heat for 4 hours. Then
remove from heat, allow to cool completely before removing the pudding
from its mold. Place the pudding in an oven proof dish.

Turn on the oven at 400°F

Beat the egg whites to a stiff peak consistency, making sure there
remains no liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Put the Maple syrup in a medium sized saucepan and bring it to a boil,
then pour it still hot onto the cooked pudding. Then, with a spatula,
smear the entire pudding with the beaten egg whites.

Put the glazed pudding in the over until the eggs start to brown. You'll
have to keep a close eye so that they don't burn. Remove from the oven
as soon as you see the first sings of browning. And you're done.

Enjoy,

Mona

Elaine O'Neill wrote:
> My husband's grandmother gave me her recipe years ago for fruitcake.
> It didn't use the pre-mixed candied fruits, instead it used just a few
> individual fruits. Citron was one, I can't remember the others. It
> wasn't baked, but steamed, then, I believe, finished off in the oven.
> It was done in three 1 lb. coffee cans, but that's really neither here
> nor there. I lost the recipe years ago when I lost some of my
> cookbooks in a post-Christmas house fire. She was from Ontario
> herself, but her ancestors (FOUBERT, CAPRON) were from Quebec. I don't
> know if this is a Canadian recipe or an American one. But I thought
> I'd take a shot here. If anyone has anything remotely resembling it,
> I'd really appreciate it.
>
> Thank you in advance and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.
>
> Elaine O'. in the
> Beautiful Missouri Ozarks
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