Holiday Plum Pudding

 Holiday plum pudding

1 cup finely chopped beef suet (1/4 pound)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon brown sugar

½ cup milk

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup currents

1 pound chopped mixed fruits(cherries, citron, orange peel, lemon peel)

1 cup sliced blanched almonds

1¼ cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon mace

1 cup soft bread crumbs

½ cup brandy

Combine suet, brown sugar, milk and eggs. Mix fruits and almonds with ¼ cup of the flour. Sift remaining flour with soda, salt and spices. Add fruits, crumbs and flour-and-spice mixture to the suet mixture. Mix well. Turn into a well-greased 1 quart covered pudding mold. Steam 3 hours. (Steaming directions: use steamer or deep covered kettle. In using the kettle, place filled and covered mold on the trivet or wire rack in the kettle. Pour in boiling water to ½ depth of mold. Place cover on kettle and steam, replenishing the boiling water when necessary to keep the proper level of 1/2 depth of mold.)  turn out on a hot platter, heat brandy in a small saucepan, pour over pudding, light brandy and bring pudding to the table flaming. Serve with hard sauce. 

Hard Sauce

½ cup butter

Dash of salt

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Brandy if desired

Soften butter; beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add brandy to taste, beating it in thoroughly. To serve, spoon sauce over a thin slice of pudding.

Note: when cooking with alcohol, use only the ones you would drink.