Table Of ContentPLATE 1 A Christmas Still Life showing a plum pudding, hard sauce, the traditional
mincepies baked in oval patty tins, and sugared fruit
TALKING
ABOUT PUDDINGS
BY
M A R G A R ET B A T ES
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
ROBERT J. ANDERSON
PERGAMON PRESS
O X F O RD • L O N D ON • E D I N B U R GH • N EW YORK
T O R O N TO • S Y D N EY • PARIS • B R A U N S C H W E IG
Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford
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Copyright© 1968 Pergamon Press Ltd.
First edition 1968
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-31496
Filmset by The European Printing Corporation Limited Dublin Ireland
Printed in Great Britain by A. Wheaton £sf Co., Exeter
08 003600 7 (hard cover)
T H IS B O OK IS D E D I C A T ED TO
KATHARINE AND ADAM
WHO SO ENTHUSIASTICALLY ASSISTED IN
THE SAMPLING OF THE RECIPES RECORDED
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FIGURE 1 The Christmas Plum Pudding 3
FIGURE 2 Preparing an Orange for Fruit Salad 40
FIGURE 3 Preparing a Pineapple for Fruit Salad 43
FIGURE 4 Apple Cake with Chopped Crust 55
FIGURE 5 Decorating the Edge of a Tart 100
FIGURE 6 Brandy and Hazelnut Gateau 134
FIGURE 7 Brandy and Hazelnut Gateau 135
FIGURE 8 Sherry Gateau 137
FIGURE 9 Marquise Alice 167
FIGURE 10 Marquise Alice 168
FIGURE 11 Marquise A lice 169
FIGURE 12 Dutch Fans 203
FIGURE 13 Making an Apple Cake 206
PLATE 1 A Christmas Still Life showing a plum pudding, hard sauce,
the traditional mince pies baked in oval patty tins, and
sugared fruit Frontispiece
PLATE 2 Dressing Up the Fruit Salad— a melon can be used to make
the case for a magnificent fruit salad facing page 36
PLATE 3 Peches Cardinal or Peaches with Melba sauce facing page 44
PLATE 4 Trifle with a veiling of spun sugar facing page 172
ix
THE HOME-MADE FLAVOUR
MEALS, like good stories, should have The housewife's field is vast: it may be
happy endings, and it is pleasant and just a simple fruit salad, made with the
convenient to have an extensive range of fruit of the moment and always different;
puddings in one's repertoire. The recipes stewed fruits in all their variations; a
given in this book have been collected trifle par excellence', home-made pies with
over the years and have given me much their welcome fragrance; steamed pud-
pleasure both in making and serving. dings, so much appreciated when the
Indeed, I have come to realize that in this wind is in the east; cold souffles light as
field the home cook can really outshine thistledown; lush gateaux and the whole
the professional chef. Good home-made range of home-made ices so delicious and
puddings are everyone's delight and have easy with a refrigerator; while, of course,
little in common with the mass-produced Christmas feasting can never really be
ice-cream and narrow range of stereo- complete without the traditional plum
typed dishes so often provided by the pudding and plenty of home-made
commercial caterer. mince pies.
CHAPTER 1
IN T HE C HRISTMAS
TRAD ITION
CHRISTMAS is a festival when it is proper rich and will keep well, and therefore can
to revel in the ceremonies which have been be made some time before the 25th Decem-
handed down to us through the centuries, ber and carefully stored so that it will
for it is pleasant to keep alive the best of mellow and improve. Indeed it is worth
the old traditions while blending them with making a number of plum puddings at
the new. one time for they are excellent to have to
The ceremony of a "stir and a wish" hand throughout the cold months of
when mixing the plum pudding is one January and February.
which no child should be allowed to grow The actual recipe for a plum pudding is
up without enjoying. This, combined with often traditional in a family, being handed
their later delight in the flaming of the down from mother to daughter. So it is in
pudding and in the finding of silver charms my own home, and the following recipe has
(wrapped, needless to say, in greaseproof stood the test of three and four generations.
paper) in their portion, is part of our Always, when the pudding is sampled, it
national heritage. draws forth generous words of praise, and
Again, everyone needs reminding that the recipe is one to be treasured and used
with each mince pie they enjoy, which has year after year.
been baked by another, is the promise of a The quantity given will make two family-
happy month in the coming year. sized puddings:
Christmas has always been associated
with a great wealth of food, but the tradi- f) oz fine breadcrumbs
tional dishes are small in number and carry 3 oz flour
with them an almost ritual significance few 8 oz demerara sugar
would wish to change. 8 oz prepared suet
8 oz raisins
8 oz sultanas
THE CHRISTMAS PLUM
2 oz chopped almonds
PUDDING
2 oz quartered glace cherries
The Christmas plum pudding is un- 4 oz chopped candied peel
doubtedly the pudding of the year. It is the rind of 1 lemon and a little juice
1
Talking About Puddings
i grated nutmeg
The instructions with the saucepan should
1 teaspoon/ul mixed spice
be followed carefully.
\ teasponnjulhakingsoda
I tablespoon]ul mill:
-1-5/^-s OLD-FASHIONED WAYS
I wme-glaw biandy or whisky RECALLED
(optional)
If the puddings are to be boiled in the
old-fashioned way, then the procedure
It is simpler and better to spread the pre- is as follows:
paration of the plum puddings over two Two pieces of strong material are re-
days: quired for the two puddings. These should
On the first day prepare the fruit, make be scalded in boiling water, wrung out,
the breadcrumbs and leave the ingredients and, while still steaming hot, dredged
weighed and to hand. thickly with flour. Mound half the mixture
Next day, combine all the dry ingred- on to each, then catch up the corners and
ients. This may either be done by putting gather into a firm, neat ball—sometimes it
them into a large mixing bowl, or alter- is helpful to first drape the cloth over a
natively if the quantity is large, by piling large bowl. Tie the puddings firmly with
them on the kitchen working surface. Add string. Meanwhile have a large saucepan
the grated lemon rind and 2-3 teaspoonfuls (or saucepans) of boiling water ready, and
of the juice. Mix the baking soda with dance the puddings in this for a few
milk, beat the eggs and combine. Make a minutes. Then reduce the heat to give a
bay in the dry ingredients. Pour in the steady but gentle bubbling of the water
milk, eggs, brandy or whisky and use to mix and boil in all for 4-5 hours. Do not let
all to a moist, but not sticky consistency. the water penetrate to the mixture, other-
Mix thoroughly, not forgetting to call in wise the pudding will be ruined. This
the family so that they can help in the time- tragedy would tend to happen if the cloth
honoured way and have "a wish". was not sufficiently sealed with flour in
the first place, or the water in the saucepan
was allowed to drop below simmering
COOKING THE PLUM point. Incidentally, should the saucepan
PUDDING of water require replenishing at any stage,
A plum pudding may be either steamed add boiling water from the kettle.
or boiled and, of the two, the former is of A plum pudding which is boiled in this
course the simpler method: old-fashioned way has a flavour and
Prepare two pudding bowls by buttering texture all its own. Indeed it is claimed
generously and sprinkling the bottom that such a pudding is less greasy and is
and sides with a little demerara sugar. lighter than one cooked by the modern
Two-thirds fill with the plum pudding method of steaming the mixture in a bowl.
mixture, pressing it firmly into the bowls. While, of course, the Christmas-card shape
Cover with greased paper and steam for is attractive, especially if the pudding is
5-6 hours. Alternatively, cook in a pressure served dusted with sugar and flamed with
saucepan and so reduce the time required. brandy.
2
FIG. I . The Christmas Plum Pudding—old fashioned ways recalled
Talking Abi it Puddings
STORING THE PLUM extra flavour to the pudding as it caramel-
PUDDING izes the dusting of icing sugar.
Whisky or rum may also be used for this
Plum puddings will keep well for a long
purpose, but they must be of good quality
time if properly stored —the round of the
if they are to light satisfactorily.
year if need be.
Those puddings which have been cooked
in bowls should be allowed to cool, then re-
SAUCES FOR THE
covered with fresh paper and stored in a
PLUM PUDDING
cool place, perhaps even in cake tins.
There is considerable variety in the mat-
The plum puddings which have been
ter of sauces suitable to serve with the plum
boiled should be removed from the sauce-
pudding. They range from a simple cus-
pan and hung up to dry. They are best
tard, made by preference with eggs and de-
kept hanging in a cool and airy place until
signed to please the children, to one of the
required.
various hard sauces, or perhaps better still,
a sauce based on brandy. The latter is my
own preference, largely because it makes
THE CEREMONY OF
the pudding pleasantly moist to eat. Some
FLAMING THE PLUM
folk even simplify the whole business still
PUDDING
further and choose to serve neat, hot,
When the pudding is to be used it should sweetened brandy, and it is not a bad
be steamed or boiled for a further 2 hours. suggestion either.
The unmoulding and dishing should be
left until the last possible moment since it
BRANDY SAUCE
is important that the pudding should be
served very hot. This, not only because it is 1 oz butter
more palatable, but also because both the 1 oz sugar
pudding and the dish must be very hot if it 11 gills water
is to be flamed successfully. To flame the 2 gill brandy
pudding is easy and it makes a pretty sight 1 heaped teaspoonful arrowroot
when it is carried with ceremony into the
dining-room. It delights the beholders and Put the butter, sugar, water and brandy
the excitement of the dishing is amply re- into a small saucepan and heat together.
warded by the spontaneous applause from Meanwhile blend the arrowroot with a little
all sides. The technique is as follows: extra water and use to thicken the sauce.
Quickly dust the plum pudding with Bubble all together for a few minutes
icing sugar and stick a spray of holly on before serving.
top. Meanwhile heat 4-5 tablespoonfuls of
brandy in a small saucepan and when hot,
SENIOR WRANGLER SAUCE
light and pour flaming round the sides of
OR BRANDY BUTTER No. 1
the pudding and into the serving dish.
Without more ado, carry triumphantly Senior Wrangler Sauce is associated with
into the dining-room. Not only does it look one of the famous feasts given at Cam-
spectacular, but the flaming gives a pleasant bridge, wranglers having discerning
4
