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| The Caribbean Kitchen - Recipe 022 | |
added 22Dec2001 Caribbean Xmas Plum
Pudding |
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| Plum Pudding is another tremendous Christmas favourite in the Caribbean, used as a (sometimes flaming flambeau) dessert at Christmas Dinner. There are range of ways to serve this, including with a hard sauce (also known as brandy sauce) or with ice cream. Needless to say, this is an extremely rich dessert at any time of the year. In
days of yore, enterprising mothers and grandmothers managed to enliven the experience for
kids and adults alike even more by mixing small coins wrapped in foil into the mixture
before steaming, and making a traditional "Treasure Hunt" part of the final part
of the meal! |
| Ingredients: 4 oz. margerine |
1/2
cup flour 1 cup bread crumbs 1 tsp. mixed spice or cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 3 cups steeped preserved/candied fruit and peel 1 cup reserved liquid |
| Method Cream margerine and sugar well together. Beat eggs separately and blend into the margerine/sugar mixture. Mix in the flour, bread crumbs and spices. Add fruit and liquid, mix well, transfer to pudding bowl, and steam. The test for done-ness is that you can put a knife or toothpick into the pudding and it comes out dry and clean. Now
place the pudding bowl upside down on a plate, and allow the pudding to drop out of its
container... this takes several minutes, as it will only drop when it has cooled. |
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| Splatterflinger's Observations, Short Cuts & Hints: Dedicated Caribbean cooks store equal amounts of pitted prunes, raisins, and citron (and cherries?) to fill a gallon container about 3/4 full, with enough liquid to cover it completely. The gallon container is kept all year round in the refrigerator, topped up again each year with fruit and liquid after the puddings or cakes are made. Most recipes calls for rum, brandy or cognac to cover the steeping fruit - some prefer to use a good sweet vermouth instead. Whatever liquor is used, fruit soaking for the genuine article usually goes on for at least 3 months! In some places there are special containers available with tightly secured lids for steaming puddings. Apparently an electric rice steamer works just as well.
Flambeau is achieved by pouring brandy on top of the pudding, and then lighting with a match. **Cover/cork the brandy bottle before striking the match, and have someone turn most of the lights off just before lighting for maximum effect!! The brandy burns off in about five seconds... just wait for it - I have actually seen the pudding cut and served with a few flickers still going on the portions!
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