Recipe: English Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce, Steamed Cranberry Pudding with Eggnog Sauce for Linda

ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING
No special method needed here - this traditional New England-style pudding is steamed in a kitchen towel!( see*Note below). The addition of cranberries makes it sparkling and perfect for Thanksgiving, too - and a little bit piquant; or, you may use chopped, tart apples instead of cranberries. [*Note: pudding may be steamed in a well-buttered mold (may require two molds) or even in individual ramekins - filled no more than 2/3 full. Directions follow recipe.] It's amusing to know that "Plum Pudding" virtually NEVER actually contains plums!
SERVES 8

2 1/4 cups, breadcrumbs NOTE: Made from stale white, French, Italian or egg bread - just tear up stale pieces of bread and process in food processor to make crumbs.
1 cup, sugar (may be partly brown sugar, if desired)
2 cups, currants
1 cup, raisins
1 1/2 cups, cranberries (or substitute chopped, peeled tart apples)
1/2 cup, candied orange peel
1/2 cup, candied lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon, ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon, ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon, freshly grated nutmeg
OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup, chopped pecans
8 ounces, veal (beef) suet - ground or chopped very fine NOTE: Order suet from your butcher; it is the delicate fat surrounding the beef kidneys -white and flaky. Suet gives this pudding a rich, distinctive flavor as it dissolves during the steaming and moistens the pudding. Freeze the suet overnight. Then, while it is still frozen, chop it very fine for use in the recipe. 8 ounces of suet - by weight - will measure 2 cups finely chopped.]
5 large eggs - beaten well
1 1/2 cups, good brandy
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, sugar, the various fruits and spices, (the pecans, if desired) and the finely chopped or ground suet (see note above). Toss until well mixed. Stir in the eggs and brandy; mix well.

Coat the center of a clean, white kitchen towel with the butter, covering about half the surface of the towel. Line a bowl with the towel, buttered side up; the edges of the towel should drape over the sides of the bowl. Spoon the pudding into the towel.

Gather the ends of the towel, just above the pudding, and tie it closed with string (making a "bag" of pudding).

Fill a large pot with enough water to completely cover the pudding. Bring water to a boil, then set a plate in the bottom of the pot, and gently drop the "bag" of pudding onto the plate. The pudding will float a little bit. Lower the heat to allow water to simmer gently. Cover the pot and simmer for 4 hours. [Add more simmering water if needed to keep the pudding submerged.]
Remove finished pudding from the pot.

NOTE: If using a mold, or individual molds (instead of the "bag"), cover the mold(s) with their lids, or with buttered aluminum foil - secured by tying string around the circumference of mold(s). Smaller molds may require less cooking time.

To serve immediately: dip the towel in cold water, then gently remove it.

To serve later: leave the towel on the pudding, and refrigerate. At serving time, immerse the pudding in boiling water for 20 minutes to heat it thoroughly, then dip the towel in cold water and remove it.

Serve warm with unsweetened or very lightly sweetened whipped cream, or creme fraiche, or vanilla ice cream or hard sauce (recipe follows)

HARD SAUCE
MAKES 1 CUP

5 tablespoons, unsalted butter
1 cup, powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon, vanilla

Cream the butter (beat with flat paddle until creamy), then slowly add the sugar, beating well until creamy and pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla and blend in. Refrigerate until needed. Serve cool - but not chilled.

VARIATIONS:
Brandy or Wine Hard Sauce: add 2 tablespoons, brandy - or 3 tablespoons, Sherry or Madeira wine (vanilla may be omitted)

Lemon Hard Sauce: add 1 tablespoon, fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest (omit vanilla if desired)

Raspberry Hard Sauce: add 4 tablespoons, raspberry jam

STEAMED CRANBERRY PUDDING
SERVES 10-12

6 tablespoons, unsalted butter
3/4 cup, sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups, sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons, baking powder
1/4 teaspoon, salt
1/2 cup, milk
2 cups, cranberries
1/2 cup, chopped pecans

Generously butter or grease a 6-cup Pyrex bowl, or a tall steamed-pudding mold, or other heat-proof, water-tight container.

Cream together butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, then add to creamed butter mixture by large spoonsful - alternating with spoonsful of the milk, Add cranberries and nuts, and blend.

Spoon pudding mixture into greased container (as above) and cover with lid (if using lidded pudding mold) OR cover bowl or other container with double-thickness of aluminum foil; press foil snugly around edges, and tie with string.

Place bowl, mold or other container on a rack in a large lidded pot (make sure the pot is large enough to hold the pudding container when pot is covered). Add water to the pot to come halfway up the sides of the pudding container. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot tightly, and reduce the heat to allow water to simmer gently. Steam for 2 hours. Removed steamed pudding from pot, allow to stand for 10 minutes - then unmold. Serve with Eggnog Sauce (below).

Pudding may be kept in refrigerator, wrapped in a brandy-soaked cloth - or frozen. To freeze, wrap thoroughly cooled pudding in foil. Reheat thawed pudding (still foil-wrapped) in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes or until hot through.

EGGNOG SAUCE
MAKES 3 CUPS

1 cup, unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups, sugar
1 cup, commercial eggnog
1 tablespoon, dark rum

Simmer together the butter, sugar and eggnog until very hot (but not boiling) and sugar is dissolved. Add rum, stir well, and serve.