Figgy Pudding. NY Times
Also known as plum pudding or Christmas pudding, figgy pudding is a traditional British dessert served on Christmas. (“Pudding” in the United Kingdom is what “dessert” is called elsewhere.) Many families boast their own recipes, but in general, this rich cake-like dessert is made with a mix of dried fruits soaked in liquor, warm spices, fresh breadcrumbs, nuts and sometimes candied citrus. Beef suet, which is available online, is the traditional fat used, but it can be substituted with butter. Figgy pudding preparations often begin the Sunday before Advent, on Stir-up Sunday, when family members take turns stirring the pudding. Figgy pudding requires planning, so start shopping for ingredients at least one month before Christmas. After the initial steam, the pudding rests at least 3 weeks for the flavors to meld. The pudding can also be made months in advance, stored in the freezer and reheated before serving. The final presentation of drizzling it with liquor and setting it on fire is worthy of a grand holiday celebration.
9 hours cooking 3 weeks resting. 10 servings
Ingredients:
For The Pudding1cup/150 grams dried currants, (see Tip 1)
1cup/150 grams raisins
1cup golden raisins or sultanas
3/4 cup brandy plus more for serving
5 ounces/150 grams packaged, not fresh, beef suet, or¾ cup/172 grams unsalted butter
120 grams fresh white bread (3 to 4 slices)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1cup/150 grams packed dark brown sugar
½cup/70 grams all-purpose flour
½teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see Tip 3)
½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1medium tart apple, preferably Granny Smith
2 large eggs
1tablespoon black treacle or molasses, to taste (optional)
½teaspoon lemon zest
⅓cup/50 grams blanched slivered almonds
Unsalted butter, for greasing
Hard sauce, ice cream, fresh heavy cream or English custard, for serving (optional)
½cup/70 grams all-purpose flour
½teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see Tip 3)
½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1medium tart apple, preferably Granny Smith
2 large eggs
1tablespoon black treacle or molasses, to taste (optional)
½teaspoon lemon zest
⅓cup/50 grams blanched slivered almonds
Unsalted butter, for greasing
Hard sauce, ice cream, fresh heavy cream or English custard, for serving (optional)
For The Hard Sauce
About 2 hours before serving the pudding, reheat the pudding by steaming as directed in Step 7, this time for 1 hour. Remove the mold from the pot and peel off all the coverings, being mindful of the steam. Place a serving dish over the mold and invert the pudding. Don’t remove the mold right away. Give it a little time and a jiggle to help release the pudding.
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy in a heat-proof ladle. Hold the ladle over the pudding and carefully light it. As soon as the brandy catches fire, pour it over the pudding. The pudding will light up in a blue haze; it will extinguish quickly on its own. Slice the pudding and serve it warm with hard sauce, ice cream, or drizzled with heavy cream or custard. The pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, wrapped well in parchment and again in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. TIPS Feel free to substitute a variety of dried fruits for the currants and raisins, such as diced figs, apricots or cherries. Beef suet, a fat used in many British recipes, is traditional here. It comes packaged in a hard block or pellets. Fresh suet has a strong, meatier odor and taste, so it is not recommended here. Traditionally, an English spice mix is used that includes many of the spices used in American pumpkin spice mix, as well as ground coriander and mace. If you like, you can add a tiny pinch of those to the pumpkin spice. If you’d like to remove the steamed pudding from the mold before storing it, wrap it very tightly with plastic wrap, then in foil. Before reheating, unwrap the pudding and transfer it back to the mold.
8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
¾ cup/93 grams confectioners’ sugar, plus more to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons brandy, to taste.
¾ cup/93 grams confectioners’ sugar, plus more to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons brandy, to taste.
Directions:
- Set aside a 2 liter pudding or a heat-proof bowl as well as a lidded pot of similar size.
- Place the currants and both types of raisins in a medium bowl. Add the brandy, mix, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight. Place the suet or butter in the freezer to make grating easier later.
- Transfer the bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt; mix, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Peel the apple, then grate it and the suet (or butter) on the large hole of a box grater over the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, black treacle and lemon zest. Mix well with a wooden spoon; the mixture will be thick. Stir in the almonds and the brandy-soaked currants and raisins, along with any of the liquid.
At this point, the pudding can be steamed; or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week for the flavors to deepen, and then steamed. To steam: Generously butter the pudding mold and transfer the mixture to it, filling the mold only ¾ of the way (the pudding will expand as it cooks). Pack down the mixture and smooth the top.
Cut a round piece of parchment that will fit on top of the pudding mixture; butter one side and place it, buttered-side-down, on top. Cover the top of the mold with another piece of parchment that has a little overhang. Secure the parchment tightly to the rim of the mold with a rubber band or string, then trim the overhang. (Two sets of hands make this job easier.) Repeat with another piece of parchment paper. (This is important to do even if your mold comes with a lid. If a lid is included, place it over the parchment and cover the top of the lid tightly with foil. If you don’t have a lid, cover the parchment with 2 pieces of foil. You want to ensure you have a water-tight seal on the mold as it steams.)
Place the steamer basket in the pot. (If not using a steamer basket, place an inverted heat-proof plate or trivet, a folded cotton kitchen towel, or a couple of layers of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pot. Anything heat-proof that the pudding mold can safely sit on to prevent direct contact with the heat source will work.) Fill the pot ¼ of the way with water and bring to boil. Bring a separate kettle or small pot of water to boil. Carefully lower the pudding mold into the steamer basket, or rest it on top of whatever is in the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. The water should come halfway up the sides of the mold. If it doesn’t, slowly add more boiling water from the kettle along the sides of the pot. Cover the pot, adjust the heat to medium-low or low —the water should be at a constant gentle simmer, but not boiling — and steam the pudding for 6 hours.
Check the pudding every 30 minutes to make sure the water is always at the halfway mark, adding more boiling water as needed. After 6 hours, carefully remove the mold from the pot and cool to room temperature. Store the pudding, covered in its mold, in the fridge for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year (see Storage Tips).
Check the pudding every 30 minutes to make sure the water is always at the halfway mark, adding more boiling water as needed. After 6 hours, carefully remove the mold from the pot and cool to room temperature. Store the pudding, covered in its mold, in the fridge for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year (see Storage Tips).
Prepare the hard sauce, if using: Two days and up to 1 week before serving, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use a hand-held beater and a mixing bowl.) Beat on medium until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium just until smooth. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Add the brandy, to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix by hand with a spatula until combined. Transfer to a serving dish, smooth the top, cover and refrigerate until hard.
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy in a heat-proof ladle. Hold the ladle over the pudding and carefully light it. As soon as the brandy catches fire, pour it over the pudding. The pudding will light up in a blue haze; it will extinguish quickly on its own. Slice the pudding and serve it warm with hard sauce, ice cream, or drizzled with heavy cream or custard. The pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, wrapped well in parchment and again in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. TIPS Feel free to substitute a variety of dried fruits for the currants and raisins, such as diced figs, apricots or cherries. Beef suet, a fat used in many British recipes, is traditional here. It comes packaged in a hard block or pellets. Fresh suet has a strong, meatier odor and taste, so it is not recommended here. Traditionally, an English spice mix is used that includes many of the spices used in American pumpkin spice mix, as well as ground coriander and mace. If you like, you can add a tiny pinch of those to the pumpkin spice. If you’d like to remove the steamed pudding from the mold before storing it, wrap it very tightly with plastic wrap, then in foil. Before reheating, unwrap the pudding and transfer it back to the mold.
Step 1
Set aside a 2-liter pudding mold or similarly sized heat-proof bowl, as well as a lidded pot or steamer large enough to hold the mold. (A tall pot, like a stock pot or a pasta pot with a steamer basket, works well.)
Step 2
Place the currants and both types of raisins in a medium bowl. Add the brandy, mix, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight. Place the suet or butter in the freezer to make grating easier in Step 4.
Step 3
The following day, cube the bread, including the crust, transfer it to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. (Alternatively, you can shred the bread by hand.)
Step 4
Transfer the bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt; mix, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Peel the apple, then grate it and the suet (or butter) on the large hole of a box grater over the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, black treacle and lemon zest. Mix well with a wooden spoon; the mixture will be thick. Stir in the almonds and the brandy-soaked currants and raisins, along with any of the liquid.
Step 5
At this point, the pudding can be steamed; or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week for the flavors to deepen, and then steamed. To steam: Generously butter the pudding mold and transfer the mixture to it, filling the mold only ¾ of the way (the pudding will expand as it cooks). Pack down the mixture and smooth the top.
Step 6
Cut a round piece of parchment that will fit on top of the pudding mixture; butter one side and place it, buttered-side-down, on top. Cover the top of the mold with another piece of parchment that has a little overhang. Secure the parchment tightly to the rim of the mold with a rubber band or string, then trim the overhang. (Two sets of hands make this job easier.) Repeat with another piece of parchment paper. (This is important to do even if your mold comes with a lid. If a lid is included, place it over the parchment and cover the top of the lid tightly with foil. If you don’t have a lid, cover the parchment with 2 pieces of foil. You want to ensure you have a water-tight seal on the mold as it steams.)
Step 7
Place the steamer basket in the pot. (If not using a steamer basket, place an inverted heat-proof plate or trivet, a folded cotton kitchen towel, or a couple of layers of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pot. Anything heat-proof that the pudding mold can safely sit on to prevent direct contact with the heat source will work.) Fill the pot ¼ of the way with water and bring to boil. Bring a separate kettle or small pot of water to boil. Carefully lower the pudding mold into the steamer basket, or rest it on top of whatever is in the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. The water should come halfway up the sides of the mold. If it doesn’t, slowly add more boiling water from the kettle along the sides of the pot. Cover the pot, adjust the heat to medium-low or low —the water should be at a constant gentle simmer, but not boiling — and steam the pudding for 6 hours.
Step 8
Check the pudding every 30 minutes to make sure the water is always at the halfway mark, adding more boiling water as needed. After 6 hours, carefully remove the mold from the pot and cool to room temperature. Store the pudding, covered in its mold, in the fridge for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year (see St
Set aside a 2-liter pudding mold or similarly sized heat-proof bowl, as well as a lidded pot or steamer large enough to hold the mold. (A tall pot, like a stock pot or a pasta pot with a steamer basket, works well.)
Step 2
Place the currants and both types of raisins in a medium bowl. Add the brandy, mix, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight. Place the suet or butter in the freezer to make grating easier in Step 4.
Step 3
The following day, cube the bread, including the crust, transfer it to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. (Alternatively, you can shred the bread by hand.)
Step 4
Transfer the bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt; mix, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Peel the apple, then grate it and the suet (or butter) on the large hole of a box grater over the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, black treacle and lemon zest. Mix well with a wooden spoon; the mixture will be thick. Stir in the almonds and the brandy-soaked currants and raisins, along with any of the liquid.
Step 5
At this point, the pudding can be steamed; or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week for the flavors to deepen, and then steamed. To steam: Generously butter the pudding mold and transfer the mixture to it, filling the mold only ¾ of the way (the pudding will expand as it cooks). Pack down the mixture and smooth the top.
Step 6
Cut a round piece of parchment that will fit on top of the pudding mixture; butter one side and place it, buttered-side-down, on top. Cover the top of the mold with another piece of parchment that has a little overhang. Secure the parchment tightly to the rim of the mold with a rubber band or string, then trim the overhang. (Two sets of hands make this job easier.) Repeat with another piece of parchment paper. (This is important to do even if your mold comes with a lid. If a lid is included, place it over the parchment and cover the top of the lid tightly with foil. If you don’t have a lid, cover the parchment with 2 pieces of foil. You want to ensure you have a water-tight seal on the mold as it steams.)
Step 7
Place the steamer basket in the pot. (If not using a steamer basket, place an inverted heat-proof plate or trivet, a folded cotton kitchen towel, or a couple of layers of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pot. Anything heat-proof that the pudding mold can safely sit on to prevent direct contact with the heat source will work.) Fill the pot ¼ of the way with water and bring to boil. Bring a separate kettle or small pot of water to boil. Carefully lower the pudding mold into the steamer basket, or rest it on top of whatever is in the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. The water should come halfway up the sides of the mold. If it doesn’t, slowly add more boiling water from the kettle along the sides of the pot. Cover the pot, adjust the heat to medium-low or low —the water should be at a constant gentle simmer, but not boiling — and steam the pudding for 6 hours.
Step 8
Check the pudding every 30 minutes to make sure the water is always at the halfway mark, adding more boiling water as needed. After 6 hours, carefully remove the mold from the pot and cool to room temperature. Store the pudding, covered in its mold, in the fridge for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year (see St
orage
Tips).Step 9
Prepare the hard sauce, if using: Two days and up to 1 week before serving, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use a hand-held beater and a mixing bowl.) Beat on medium until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium just until smooth. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Add the brandy, to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix by hand with a spatula until combined. Transfer to a serving dish, smooth the top, cover and refrigerate until hard.
- Step 10
About 2 hours before serving the pudding, reheat the pudding by steaming as directed in Step 7, this time for 1 hour. Remove the mold from the pot and peel off all the coverings, being mindful of the steam. Place a serving dish over the mold and invert the pudding. Don’t remove the mold right away. Give it a little time and a jiggle to help release the pudding.
- Step 11
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy in a heat-proof ladle. Hold the ladle over the pudding and carefully light it. As soon as the brandy catches fire, pour it over the pudding. The pudding will light up in a blue haze; it will extinguish quickly on its own.
- Step 12
Slice the pudding and serve it warm, topped with hard sauce or ice cream, or drizzled with heavy cream or custard. The pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, wrapped well in parchment and again in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
TIPS
- Tip 1: Feel free to substitute a variety of dried fruits for the currants and raisins, such as diced figs, apricots or cherries.
- Tip 2: Beef suet, a fat used in many British recipes, is traditional here. It comes packaged in a hard block or pellets. Fresh suet has a strong, meatier odor and taste, so it is not recommended here.
- Tip 3: Traditionally, an English spice mix is used that includes many of the spices used in American pumpkin spice mix, as well as ground coriander and mace. If you like, you can add a tiny pinch of those to the pumpkin spice.
- Tip 4: If you’d like to remove the steamed pudding from the mold before storing it, wrap it very tightly with plastic wrap, then in foil. Before reheating, unwrap the pudding and transfer it back to the mold.
No comments:
Post a Comment