Best 6 Superb English Plum Pudding Recipes

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In the realm of cherished holiday traditions, few desserts hold a more prominent place than the magnificent English Plum Pudding. This delectable creation, also known as Christmas Pudding, is a culinary masterpiece that has graced festive tables for centuries, captivating hearts with its rich flavors, sumptuous texture, and enchanting aroma.

As you embark on this culinary journey, you will discover not just one, but a collection of exceptional English Plum Pudding recipes, each offering a unique twist on this timeless classic. From the traditional recipe, steeped in history and brimming with dried fruits, spices, and warm brandy, to the gluten-free and vegan interpretations that cater to dietary preferences without compromising on taste, this article presents a symphony of flavors that will delight every palate.

Whether you seek a boozy pudding, infused with the heady essence of rum, or a lighter version that swaps butter for yogurt, this compendium of recipes provides endless possibilities to create a pudding that perfectly matches your taste and dietary needs.

Indulge in the nostalgia of a classic steamed pudding, evoking memories of Christmases past, or explore innovative variations such as the Plum Pudding Ice Cream, a refreshing take on this beloved dessert. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, these recipes ensure that every attempt at crafting this culinary masterpiece will be a resounding success.

So gather your ingredients, don your apron, and prepare to embark on a delightful adventure into the world of English Plum Pudding. Let the enticing aromas fill your kitchen as you create a dessert that will become a cherished part of your holiday traditions for years to come.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

STEAMED PLUM PUDDING



Steamed Plum Pudding image

Spicy slices of this English-inspired dessert are served with hard sauce, made with butter, powdered sugar and a "squeak" of sherry or brandy--if you so desire.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 3h30m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 cup milk
3 cups soft bread crumbs, (5 slices bread)
1/2 cup shortening, melted
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped candied citron
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup packed brown sugar or granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup light corn syrup

Steps:

  • Generously grease bottom and side of 4-cup heatproof mold. In large bowl, pour milk over bread crumbs. Stir in shortening and molasses until well mixed. Stir in remaining pudding ingredients until well blended. Pour into mold. Cover with foil.
  • Place mold on rack in Dutch oven. Pour in boiling water up to level of rack. Cover and heat to boiling. Keep water boiling over low heat about 3 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (If adding water during steaming is necessary, uncover and quickly add boiling water.)
  • In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, mix all sauce ingredients. Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Unmold pudding; cut into slices. Serve warm with sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 700, Carbohydrate 2 g, Cholesterol 990 mg, Fiber 9 g, Protein 6 g, SaturatedFat 25 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 660 mg

CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING



Christmas Plum Pudding image

This is a fairly basic British Christmas plum pudding recipe but unlike other recipes it can actually have plums in it. Unfortunately the ingredient list is so long, it isn't easy to make it in less than industrial quantities! You can substitute a mixture of fresh and dried apricots, peaches, etc. for the plums and milk for the ale if you wish. Serve with brandy or rum butter.

Provided by HEATHER.WRAY

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     UK and Ireland     English

Time 5h30m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
4 ounces shredded suet
3 eggs, beaten
1 small carrot, grated
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup chopped blanched almonds
2 ounces preserved stem ginger in syrup, chopped
⅛ cup ground almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
⅜ cup halved candied cherries
⅓ cup raisins
⅜ cup dried currants
⅜ cup golden raisins
4 ounces candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
4 plums, pitted and chopped
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 ½ teaspoons mixed spice
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup ale

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, bread crumbs, suet, eggs, carrot, apple, brown sugar, chopped blanched almonds, stem ginger, ground almonds, cherries, raisins, currants, golden raisins, mixed peel, plums, lemon juice and zest, mixed spice, baking powder and ale. Let each family member take a turn stirring and make a wish. If you have used more dry fruit than fresh, add a little extra ale to make the mixture less stiff.
  • Grease 2 large or 4 small pudding basins. Fill with pudding mixture about 7/8 full. Cover tightly with greased waxed paper, then foil; secure with string. Stand pudding on a trivet in a large pot of boiling water that reaches halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Steam puddings over medium-low heat in boiling water 10 hours for large puddings, 5 hours for small puddings, topping off water regularly until quite firm and set.
  • If not serving immediately, let cool completely, then replace covers with fresh waxed paper and foil and store in a cool, dry place, basting from time to time with rum or brandy, for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat by steaming 2 to 3 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 228.4 calories, Carbohydrate 32 g, Cholesterol 31.8 mg, Fat 10.4 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 4.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 69.4 mg, Sugar 14.8 g

PLUM PUDDING



Plum Pudding image

An old fashioned plum pudding that was passed down to me from my grandmother, with a modification of using baking mix instead of making the top from scratch. I serve it with ice cream or what I call a Dip made from milk and flavored to taste with cinnamon and vanilla. I let each individual pour on the amount of dip they would like from a small pitcher.

Provided by domestic engineer

Categories     Desserts     Cobbler Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

12 plums, pitted and halved
1 cup white sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons tapioca
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ¼ cups all-purpose baking mix
3 tablespoons white sugar
⅔ cup milk
3 tablespoons margarine, melted

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • In a 2 quart baking dish, stir together plums, 1 cup sugar, water, tapioca and cinnamon. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. (You can also cook the plum mixture in the microwave for 15 minutes.)
  • Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • In a medium bowl, stir together baking mix, 3 tablespoons sugar, milk and melted margarine to form a biscuit dough. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto plum mixture. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 468 calories, Carbohydrate 86.1 g, Cholesterol 2.2 mg, Fat 13 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 5.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.1 g, Sodium 640.7 mg, Sugar 54.8 g

PLUM PUDDING



Plum Pudding image

Plum pudding can be made anywhere from a few weeks to a year in advance and allowed to ripen in a cool place. It must be steamed 2 hours before serving. Leave it in hot water until ready to serve with hard sauce. This recipe is from "Entertaining," by Martha Stewart.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes

Yield Serves 10 to 15

Number Of Ingredients 22

1/2 pound dried currants, plumped with 2 tablespoons cognac and enough hot water to cover
1/2 pound dried raisins, finely cut
1/4 pound candied kumquats, finely diced
1/4 pound glazed orange peel, finely diced
1/4 pound glazed lemon peel, finely diced
1/4 pound citron, finely diced
1/2 pound walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 pound ground suet
3 slices thin-sliced bread, soaked in 1/2 cup apple juice
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup black currant jam or preserves
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cognac
Hard Sauce, for serving (optional)

Steps:

  • Oil a 2-quart steamer mold or pottery bowl very well with vegetable oil and let it stand as you make the pudding.
  • Combine the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into the fruit and nuts. Add the suet, bread, brown sugar, eggs, and jam and blend well. Beat with a wooden spoon to lighten the mixture. Pour into mold. Cover with circle or parchment paper and put on a rack in a large kettle with enough water to come halfway up the sides. Cover and keep water boiling, replenishing as necessary. Steam for 6 hours.
  • Uncover pudding and pour brandy over it; put a piece of waxed paper over pudding; replace parchment and set in a cool place or on low shelf of refrigerator to ripen.
  • To serve, steam for 2 more hours and invert on a serving platter. Add the 1 teaspoon sugar to the cognac, heat, pour over warm pudding, and flame with a match. Serve with hard sauce.

PLUM PUDDING



Plum pudding image

A traditional, long-life Christmas plum pudding that's deliciously dark, rich and fruity

Provided by Jeni Wright

Categories     Dessert, Dinner, Lunch

Time 8h

Number Of Ingredients 16

85g self-raising flour
¾ tsp ground mixed spice
140g shredded suet
85g fresh white breadcrumb
140g dark muscovado sugar
140g raisin
140g sultana
140g currant
25g mixed candied peel , chopped
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small orange
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
25g glacé cherry , chopped (optional)
1 small carrot , grated
3 tbsp sweet stout (we used Mackeson)
2 tsp black treacle
brandy , to feed

Steps:

  • Stir the flour, spice, suet, breadcrumbs and sugar in a large bowl. Tip in the fruit, peel, cherries (if using) and carrot, then stir well to mix. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined.
  • Spoon the mixture into a buttered 1.2 litre pudding bowl (with a buttered disc of greaseproof paper in the bottom) and press down well, leaving room for the pudding to rise a little during steaming. Cover with a circle of buttered greaseproof paper, then cover with pudding cloth or foil and tie securely with string.
  • Stand the bowl on an upturned saucer in a saucepan and half fill with boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for 8 hours, topping up the water as necessary. Leave to cool in the pan.
  • Remove the pudding from the pan and discard the cloth or foil and paper. Then cover with fresh greaseproof paper and cloth. Store your pudding in a cool, dry place until required - you can feed it with a few tablespoons of brandy once in a while. Before serving, steam again for 2-3 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 481 calories, Fat 17 grams fat, SaturatedFat 8 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 77 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 19.5 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 6 grams protein, Sodium 0.45 milligram of sodium

ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING



English Plum Pudding image

A very traditional recipe imported by our first settlers from England. Just lovely garnished with hard sauce. From the New England chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947.

Provided by Molly53

Categories     Dessert

Time 4h15m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ginger
1 lb currants
1 lb raisins
1/2 lb citron, shredded
4 apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups soft breadcrumbs (Panko)
2 cups milk
8 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 lb suet, ground
1 cup brandy

Steps:

  • Sift first five ingredients together; stir in fruit.
  • Soak crumbs in milk for ten minutes.
  • Beat eggs and sugar together until lemon-colored; add suet and soaked crumbs and stir into flour-fruit mixture.
  • Add brandy and mix well.
  • Pour into greased molds, cover tightly and steam 3 to 4 hours (depending on the size of molds used) OR tie in a large piece of heavy muslin, heavily buttered and floured, allowing plenty of space for expansion.
  • Place in a large kettle of boiling water with rack in bottom to hold pudding off the bottom.
  • Boil 3 to 4 hours, replacing water as necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 929.4, Fat 41.5, SaturatedFat 22.1, Cholesterol 172.5, Sodium 831.3, Carbohydrate 120.7, Fiber 6, Sugar 86.8, Protein 11.8

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the pudding will be. Use fresh, ripe plums, good-quality flour, and butter.
  • Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing the batter will make the pudding tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Steam the pudding for at least 2 hours: This will ensure that the pudding is cooked through and has a light, fluffy texture.
  • Allow the pudding to cool completely before serving: This will help the pudding to set and will make it easier to slice.
  • Serve the pudding with your favorite toppings: Some popular toppings include brandy sauce, hard sauce, or whipped cream.

Conclusion:

English plum pudding is a classic dessert that is perfect for any special occasion. It is a delicious and festive dish that is sure to impress your guests. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can make a delicious and impressive English plum pudding that your family and friends will love. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

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