Christmas Plum Pudding

By oakleyj

Gloriously fragrant with sweet spices and rum-soaked fruit, this is the ultimate in traditional Christmas puddings. One bite, topped with luscious Orange Hard Sauce, is enough to recapture all the delicious memories of Christmas past.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp grated orange rind
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fine stale (not dry) bread crumbs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp each salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp each cloves and ginger
• 1 cup chopped mixed candied peel
• 1 cup seeded raisins (Lexia)
• 3/4 cup halved candied cherries
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup rum, brandy, or orange juice
• 1/4 cup rum or brandy (for flaming)

Preparation

Step 1

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy.Beat in eggs, one at a time, beting well after each addition; add orange rind. In separate bowl, stir together flour, bread crumbs, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmet, cloves, nd ginger; stir in candied peel, seeded raisins, cherries, golden raisins and almonds. With wooden spoon, stir half of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture; stir in 1/3 cup rum, then remaining dry ingredients. Line bottom of greased 8-cup pudding ring mould or 6-cup pudding bowl with circle of greased wax paper, pressing into any patterns of the mould. Pack batter in evenly. Cover batter with circle of greased waxed paper; cover mould with lid. To cover bowl, make 1-inch pleat across middle of large piece of foil and place over bowl. Press sides down; trim edge, leaving 2-inch overhang. Tie string securely around top of bowl, fold foil overhang up over string. Place mould on rack in large saucepan; pour in enough boiling water to come two-thirds up side of mould. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, adding water as needed to maintain level, for 1 1/2 tp 2 hours for ring mould, 2 1/2 to 3 hours for pudding bowl, or until cake tester inserted intp center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove paper and unmould onto serving plate. In saucepan, warm 1/4 cup rum over medium-low heat just until heated through but not boiling. Remove from heat. Using long match, carefully ignite rum; pour over pudding. Serve with Orange Hard Sauce.