Rich Plum Pudding

[berringamababe]

Original Recipe  Checkout readers recipes II  submitted by Rae R Baker Lilydale
I have been making this plum pudding at Christmas time for 16 years and had always boiled it in a cloth, every year my friends have asked if they are still getting there plum pudding for Christmas as it is a favourite.
This is my second year using TM now and I use a glad oven bag
225 g plan flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
250 g butter
1 small carrot
250 g fresh bread crumbs
250 g sultanas
250 g currants
250 g raisins
60 g glace cherries
60 g dried apricots
300 g brown sugar
1 green apple
80 g blanched almonds
rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 ts nutmeg
60 g brandy or rum
1/2 tsp
salt
4 eggs beaten
3/4 cup milk

Place fresh bread in TM speed 8 for 10 seconds set a side.
Place the rind of lemon and orange in TM speed 8, 10 seconds, then add dried apricots speed 8, 10 seconds.
Add carrot, apple and butter cut into chunks blitz a few seconds.  Add all other ingredients and mix speed 4 reverse for 20-30 seconds scraping down the side of bowl with spatula until well mixed.

Place into an oven bag and put into a pudding basin or bowl place in varoma basket and steam on varoma settingspeed 4 for 4 hours making sure water does not run dry.

I hang for a couple of days to dry, wrap in foil and calico and store until Christmas day.  The attached photo is half the mixture as I make it into 1 large and 2 small puddings and give the smaller as gifts.

[snappy]

Thanks Berringma babe.

I'm really interested in steaming the puddings in oven bags as I haven't done this before.  When you set the puddings up to dry, do you remove them from the glad bag?  Are they removed from the bag before you wrap in foil?

Sorry, these may seem silly questions ......

[berringamababe]

This is the first time I have used the oven bag, I have wrapped the oven bag with calico and hung it.  I don't know if there is any advantage of it but when I have made them in cloth I hung them so I guess it is habit.  I am very happy with how it has turned out.

[achookwoman]

B,  love this recipe.  It is similar to one I posted back in 2009.   This year I have made it in  individual serves as well as 2 larger ones.  I have found that on Xmas day the children are not so fond of Xmas pud but would rather have an ice cream based pud.  We love it 'though.
The local famous PUD company make small puddings in Large cup cake size forms.  I like your conversion.

[Curry Diva]

Thank you. Def a must try this Christmas.

[berringamababe]

achookwomen, I didn't see yours or I would not of posted it, they are pretty much the same recipe.  I typed plum puding into search to check if there was a similar one but never thought of typing christmas pudding? which is totally obvious. Maybe they should just get merged

[achookwoman]

No, B.  I think yours is a better conversion.  Like you,  I make them as Xmas presents.  Everyone loves them.  I have been making them for over 30 years.  The original recipe was American,  and was cooked in a jam tin in a crock pot.  Keep up the good work with the converting.

[Wonder]

I've just found out I need to make a pudding for Christmas Day - nothing like last minute notice. I've only ever made my family recipe which needs the fruit to be marinated for a few weeks and then hung for a few weeks once cooked. Can anyone tell me if I could make this tomorrow for Christmas Day and if so how do I warm up on the day - in the varoma in the glad bag?. Any tips hints would be very much appreciated.

[cookie1]

Mum sometimes used to do hers in a cloth and sometimes in a Glad oven bag. She re heated it the same as for a cloth one. In a pot of boiling water.

[Cornish Cream]

Could you reheat the pudding in a slow-cooker or the pressure cooker Wonder.

[Wonder]

I'm not sure. I've always boiled the cloth one for the few hours on Christmas Day so hoping I can do the same with this one or steam in the varoma. After reading some of Chookies tips and hints I managed a late night run to the supermarket for fruit ( not ideal but couldn't get to my normal supplier of fruit at midnight), and marinated in the rum over night and will make this pudding up late this afternoon. It will at least have almost three days resting time. I'm  planning on steaming in the varoma in a glad bag in a proper metal pudding bowl.

[judydawn]

Found these hints on the net Wonder.

How to Reheat Christmas Puddings
 
To reheat in the oven, remove wrappings from the pudding. Wrap in foil and reheat at 300ºF (150ºC) for an hour or until hot.
 
To reheat on the stovetop, remove wrappings and place the pudding in the original mould. Cover tightly. Set pudding mould on a trivet in a large saucepan and steam 3/4 - 1 hour or until hot.

[Wonder]

Thanks so much Judy.

[Wonder]

I've bunts put this in to steam and realised I didn't add the bicarbonate soda or the carrot!!!! Not sure what I should do.

Just realised I totally messed up - trying to do too many things at the same time. I've combined this recipe with another one, so my quantities are all off. I guess I need to slow down. I've now wasted the ingredients and time.

[judydawn]

Cross your fingers and hope for the best Wonder.