Plum Pudding

This classic Plum Pudding is a deeply satisfying, old-fashioned dessert that captures the essence of traditional holiday baking. Rich with suet, flour, and an abundance of dried fruits like raisins and currants, it offers a dense, moist texture with warm, aromatic notes from cinnamon, cloves, and mace. The addition of fresh orange juice and finely chopped citrus rinds provides a bright, zesty contrast to the sweet, spiced dough. Best enjoyed warm with a generous pour of custard, brandy butter, or rich pudding sauce, this pudding is perfect for Christmas dinner, New Year celebrations, or any cozy winter evening. While it requires several hours of steaming, the hands-on time is minimal, making it an impressive yet manageable centerpiece for festive gatherings. Store leftovers wrapped tightly to keep it moist for days.

Cooking Method: Steaming

Cuisine: Global

Courses: Desserts

Difficulty: Advanced

Servings: 8

Calories: 1016.2

Dietary: Vegetarian

Description

This classic Plum Pudding is a deeply satisfying, old-fashioned dessert that captures the essence of traditional holiday baking. Rich with suet, flour, and an abundance of dried fruits like raisins and currants, it offers a dense, moist texture with warm, aromatic notes from cinnamon, cloves, and mace. The addition of fresh orange juice and finely chopped citrus rinds provides a bright, zesty contrast to the sweet, spiced dough. Best enjoyed warm with a generous pour of custard, brandy butter, or rich pudding sauce, this pudding is perfect for Christmas dinner, New Year celebrations, or any cozy winter evening. While it requires several hours of steaming, the hands-on time is minimal, making it an impressive yet manageable centerpiece for festive gatherings. Store leftovers wrapped tightly to keep it moist for days.

Ingredients

1 cups Suet, finely chopped
1 teaspoons Mace
1 cups Sugar
1/2 teaspoons Salt
2 cups Bread crumbs, soft
1 teaspoons Soda
1 cups Flour
1 cups Raisins
2 whole Egg, well beaten
1 cups Currants
1 cups Milk
1/2 cups Nuts, chopped
1/4 cups Orange juice
1/4 cups Orange rind, finely chopped
1 teaspoons Cloves
1/4 cups Lemon rind, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Directions

1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped suet, sugar, and soft bread crumbs.
2
Add the well-beaten eggs to the suet mixture and beat until smooth and well combined.
3
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, mace, salt, soda, cloves, and cinnamon.
4
In another bowl, combine the raisins, currants, chopped nuts, finely chopped orange rind, and finely chopped lemon rind.
5
Sprinkle the fruit and nut mixture with half a cup of the sifted dry ingredients and toss to coat evenly.
6
Pour the orange juice into the suet and egg mixture, stirring to combine.
7
Alternately add the milk and the remaining sifted dry ingredients to the suet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
8
Fold the coated fruit and nut mixture into the batter until evenly distributed.
9
Grease pudding molds and fill them about halfway with the batter.
10
Cover the molds tightly with foil or lids to prevent water from dripping in.
11
Steam the puddings for 3 hours, ensuring the water level remains high throughout the cooking process.
12
Let the puddings rest for 5 minutes before unmolding.
13
Serve warm with your choice of pudding sauce, custard, or brandy butter.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8

Amount Per Serving
Calories 1016.2kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.1g18%
Saturated Fat 2.9g15%
Cholesterol 187.7mg63%
Sodium 835.8mg35%
Total Carbohydrate 203.8g68%
Dietary Fiber 11.4g46%
Sugars 65.6g
Protein 28.9g58%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Storage: Wrap cooled pudding tightly in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat by steaming for 20-30 minutes or microwaving in short intervals.

Substitutions: For a vegetarian version, use vegetarian suet or substitute with unsalted butter. Almond meal can replace breadcrumbs for a gluten-free variation (note texture changes).

Variations: Add 2-3 tablespoons of brandy or rum to the batter for extra flavor. You can also fold in chopped prunes or dates for additional moisture and sweetness.

Tips: Ensure the pudding molds are filled only halfway, as the batter will rise during steaming. Keep a tight seal on the cover to prevent water from entering, which can make the pudding soggy.

Safety: Be careful when handling hot steam and molds. Use oven mitts and ensure the pudding is fully cooked before serving.

Keywords: plum pudding, steamed pudding, christmas pudding, holiday dessert, suet, dried fruit, raisins, currants, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, lemon zest, traditional baking, british dessert, steaming, pudding sauce, brandy butter, custard, winter dessert, family recipe

Read it online: https://www.chefs-mate.com/recipe/plum-pudding-2/