Holiday Pudding
One November activity that has been a part of the Christmas traditions of most of the Scottish households for hundred of years is the baking of the Christmas pudding. The pudding is made on the fifth Sunday before Chistmas. The whole family assembles in the kitchen and everyone takes a turn at stirring it. In rememberance of the journey of the Three Wise Men, the pudding is stirred from east to west while everyone makes a wish. What ever is wished for is a secret, but is pretty certain that it will come true during the coming year --- especially for the lucky one who finds the silver coin hidden during its prepartion, on Christmas Day. This is a tradition we can all take part in no matter where we live. To help you do so here is a recipe. Christmas Pudding
½ cup/75 g. flour
3 oz./75 g. chopped suet or lard
3 oz./75 g. crumbled bread or rolls
3 oz./75 g. currants
5 oz./120 g. golden raisins
5 oz./120 g. dark raisins
3 oz./75g. brown sugar
dash each of ground cloves, paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg
2 oz./50 g. candied orange peel or citron chopped
2 oz./50 g. candied cherries chopped
1 small carrot grated
½ small apple, peeled and grated
2 eggs slightly beaten
grated rind and juice of ½ orange and ½ lemon
½ cup/100 ml. dark beer (Guinness or stout)
In a large bowl stir together flour, suet, or lard, breadcrumbs, candied furits, sugar, salt, spices, lemon - and orange peel, carrot, and apple. Beat together eggs, lemon- and orange juice, and beer, add to dry ingredients and stir everything together to make a thick viscous batter. If necessary, add some more beer. Pour the batter into a greased puddling mold with a tightly fitting lid and steam for 7 hours. (Set pudding on a trivet in a heavy kettle with 1 inch of boiling water. Keep adding more water as it evaporates.) When done, remove pudding mold and store in a cool place for at least six weeks. Before serving, reheat for three hours before unmoulding onto a platter. Decorate wtih holly twigs. Pour a small glass of cogag over the pudding and ignite and serve flambéed.
You can find more articles in the archive under Fada 's Farsaing (Far and Wide)
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