The word 'pudding' originates in the early fourteenth century, meaning a sausage or sausage-like dish. In this sense, it can hardly be thought of as typically British although the British are notoriously fond of their puddings. Meanwhile dessert puddings, as desserts that must be eaten with a spoon, are featured in several cuisines. There are boiled puddings and baked puddings (and even puddings like old-fashioned simnel that were first boiled and then baked). Historically, boiling was preferable to baking -although not by choice- since poorer families did not have access to ovens. Boiled puddings are moist and take longer to make. Baked puddings are versatile; they may be thick or dense, essentially a custard or similar to jelly roll in texture, plain or drenched in syrup. For me, baked puddings rule. Today's post, however, is dedicated to a boiled pudding inspired by Eliza Leslie's Seventy-five receipts for pastry, cakes and sweetmeats (1828):
Miss Leslie's boiled plum pudding: "One pound of raisins, stoned and cut in half. One pound of currants, picked, washed, and dried. One pound of beef suet, chopped fine. One pound of grated stale bread, or one pound of flour. Eight eggs. A quarter of a pound of sugar. A pint of milk. A glass of brandy. A glass of wine. Two nutmegs, grated. A table-spoonful of mixed cinnamon and mace. A salt-spoonful of salt. -You must prepare all your ingredients the day before (except beating the eggs) that in the morning you may have nothing to do but to mix them, as the pudding will require six hours to boil. Beat the eggs very light, then put to them half the milk and beat both together. Stir in gradually the flour or grated bread. Next add the sugar by degrees. Then the suet and fruit alternately. The fruit must be well sprinkled with flour, lest it sink to the bottom. Stir very hard. Then add the spice and liquor, and lastly the remainder of the milk. Stir the whole mixture very well together. If it is not thick enough, add a little more grated bread or flour. If there is too much bread or flour, the pudding will be hard and heavy. Dip your pudding-cloth in boiling water, shake it out, and sprinkle it slightly with flour. Lay it in a pan, and pour the mixture into the cloth. Tie it up carefully, allowing room for the pudding to swell. Boil it six hours and turn it carefully out of the cloth. Before you send it to table, have ready some blanched sweet almonds cut in slips, or some slips of citron, or both. Stick them all over the outside of the pudding. Eat it with wine, or with a sauce made of drawn butter, wine and nutmeg. The pudding will be improved if you add to the other ingredients, the grated rind of a large lemon or orange."
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