Anne's Christmas Pudding with Hard Sauce
rec.crafts.textiles.needlework/Farleyaw (2000)

According to my Grandmother, this has been a family recipe since the beginning of time and was brought over from England when the original family came to America in the ship right after the Mayflower!

2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup mixed candied fruit (sliced/diced kind like you put in cookies)
1/2 cup suet fat (ask your butcher for some - he'll give it to you FREE!)
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
grated rind of 1 orange
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup brandy, sherry, rum, or fruit juice (we use orange juice)

Sift flour and spices twice to mix well. Add raisins and fruit.

Chip suet fine and add. Mix well.

Beat eggs with sugar, then add orange rind and other liquid to eggs and sugar. Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir.

Pour mixture into 1 1/2 quart GREASED bowl or mold, filling not more than 2/3 full. Cover bowl with 2 thicknesses of waxed paper and tie securely. Place on rack in deep pot. Fill pot with boiling water halfway up the bowl.

Cover the pot and steam for 3 hours. Add more water as needed. DON'T LET YOUR WATER EVER ALL BOIL AWAY! This pudding scorches and burns easily.

Serve with hard sauce or other pudding sauce. May be made in advance and reheated by steaming. Serves 10

HARD SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Soften butter. Add sugar gradually with other ingredients and beat until fluffy.