Christmas steamed pudding (Holidays menus for the family)

 

8 servings

• 1 cup boiling water 
• 1 cup chopped cranberries or chopped raisins
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• Creamy sauce (below) or Rum hard sauce (below)

1. Generously grease 6-cup mold.
2. Pour boiling water on cranberries ; stir in shortening.
3. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl ; stir in cranberry mixture, molasses and egg.
4. Pour into mold ; cover tightly with aluminium foil.
5. Place mold on rack in Dutch oven or steamer ; pour boiling water into Dutch oven halfway up mold and cover Dutch oven.
6. Keep water boiling over lower heat about 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center of pudding comes out clean ; remove mold from Dutch oven.
7. Let stand 5 minutes ; unmold.
8. Serve warm or cool with Creamy sauce or Rum hard sauce.

Creamy sauce

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup margarine or butter, softened
• ½ cup whipping cream

1. Mix powdered sugar and margarine in 1-quart saucepan until smooth and creamy ; stir in whipping cream.
2. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally ; serve warm.

Rum hard sauce

• ½ cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum

1. Beat margarine in small bowl on high speed about 5 minutes until smooth ; gradually beat in powdered sugar and rum.
2. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

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