Best 4 Truly British Brandy Butter For Festive Figgy And Plum Pudding Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING (FIGGY PUDDING)

Steps:

• Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, almonds, and candied citrus peel in a bowl. Pour the brandy over and stir to combine the mixture. Cover and let sit overnight to allow the brandy to fully penetrate the fruit.
• The next day, place the breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.In another bowl add the soaked dried fruit mixture, grated apple, black treacle, suet, lemon and orange zest, and egg. Stir to combine.Add the dry mixture to the fruit mixture and stir to thoroughly combine it. It will be thick and sticky.Generously butter your pudding mold (2 liter/3.5 pints mold) and scoop the batter into the mold, pressing down and smoothing the top.Cut a circle out of parchment paper the same diameter as the top of the pudding mold. Lightly butter the paper and place it, butter side down, on top of the batter. Next tear off two more pieces of parchment paper large enough to cover the to of the pudding mold and partially down the sides of the mold. If your pudding mold is small and the batter comes to the top of it, fold a pleat in the center of the parchment papers to allow room for expansion as the pudding cooks. Trim off excess paper.Secure the paper by folding down the sides and tying securely with a string (to make it easier you can secure it first with a rubber band while you're tying it and then remove the rubber band).Note: If your mold comes with a lid as mine does, I still like to adda layer of parchment paper before securing the lid.Bring a large pot of water to a very low simmer. Place a folded cloth or trivet on the bottom of the pot to prevent the pudding mold from coming in direct contact with the pot in order to prevent scorching.Lower the pudding mold down into the water on top of the folded cloth. The water level should come up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Cover the pot with the lid.Steam the pudding over very low heat for approximately 8 hours. Check periodically to ensure the water level is still at the halfway point and add more water as needed.The longer the pudding steams the darker in color it will become.
• When the pudding is done steaming, carefully lift out the pudding mold and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then invert the pudding on a plate. Let it sit until the pudding slides out onto the plate. Let the pudding cool completely.To store, remove the parchment paper and wrap the pudding with clean parchment paper followed by aluminum foil. Wrap tightly. Store it in a cool, dark place, preferably a basement. If you do not have a cool, dark environment in your home you can keep it in the fridge but make sure it is tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and some aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Follow these same guidelines along with placing the pudding in a ziplock freezer bag to freeze the pudding. When you're ready to serve the pudding you will need to reheat it either by re-steaming it for 30-60 minutes or until heated through or you can also microwave it in a microwave safe container to keep the moisture in.You can light the pudding on fire just before serving (see blog post section on how to light a pudding) and then serve with Hard Sauce (i.e., brandy butter) or powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla custard, ice cream, or lemon sauce.

CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH BRANDY BUTTER

Steps:

• For Brandy Butter:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Beat in sugar. Gradually beat in brandy. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• For pudding:
• Mix currants, candied cherries, prunes, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Pour rum over and stir to blend. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Mix breadcrumbs, sugar and flour in medium bowl. Add to dried fruit mixture and stir to blend. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Generously butter 2-quart pudding mold with lid. Mix almonds and baking powder in medium bowl. Whisk melted butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract and almond extract in large bowl. Stir in almond mixture. Stir butter mixture into dried fruit mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pudding mold. Smooth top. Cover pudding mold with lid.
• Place pudding mold on rack in large pot. Add enough boiling water to pot to come halfway up sides of mold. Cover pot and steam pudding over medium-low heat until tester inserted into center comes out clean, adding more boiling water to pot if necessary, about 2 hours. Transfer mold to rack and cool 5 minutes. Turn out pudding. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate. To reheat pudding, unwrap and return to buttered mold; cover mold. Place mold on rack in large pot. Add enough hot water to pot to come halfway up sides of mold. Cover pot and steam pudding over medium-low heat until heated through, about 45 minutes. Transfer mold to rack. Let stand 5 minutes. Turn out pudding.)
• Transfer pudding to platter. Serve warm with brandy butter.

CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Combine raisins, golden raisins, currants, candied orange peel, chopped almonds and shredded apple.
• Combine suet, flour, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, allspice and salt.
• Beat eggs and add to flour mixture.
• Stir brandy and lemon juice into fruit mixture.
• Stir fruit into batter.
• Pack into greased, heat-proof bowl (or several smaller bowls, or straight-sided canning jars for gifting).
• Steam for 3-6 hours (depending on size of container) until the dough portion of the pudding is firm (test with toothpick, like a cake).
• Cool and sprinkle with more brandy. Cover tightly and refrigerate until Christmas. (can be made far in advance).
• To serve, steam again until warm, turn out onto a heat-proof plate, and if you are really adventurous, pour brandy over pudding and light!

MOIST PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Soak the Mixed fruits in the juices of the orange & lemon for at least 6 hours or best overnight).
• Butter the suitable mould/basin all round. It is better to line the bottom of the mould with greaseproof paper to ensure the pudding does not stick when un-moulded.
• Boil a pot (if possible with a lid) of water that could fit the mould/basin.
• Combine all the Dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Add in the Mixed fruits and mix well again.
• Add in the Wet ingredients and mix well again.
• Pour into the mould/basin. Cover with greaseproof paper which fits the size of the top of the pudding.
• Use aluminium foil and fold a pleat in the centre (to allow the pudding to expand while cooking).
• Cover the mould/basin snugly & secure it with a string.
• Boil on Medium flame for first half hour and then turn down the heat and simmer for 7 hours.
• Once cooked, leave it to cool slightly before unwrapping and un-moulding.
• Remove the foil and paper and turn the pudding out on a plate. It would still feel soft as it is hot.
• Once totally cooled, wrap it in cling film and foil and refrigerate it for at least 2 weeks or up to a month before cutting and eating.
• NOTE: You can either use any heat-proof basin/mould that resembles a pudding basin which fits into your pot of hot water.
• NOTE: Although I only used Mixed spice, you can use Orange Essence or Vanilla essence for preference.
• All the best!