Christmas Steamed Pudding (Holiday inspiration)

 

                A custom still observed in parts of England is to have every family member take a turn stirring the butter, always in a clockwise direction, while making a secret wish.

Makes 8 servings

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

1. Generously grease 6-cup mold with shortening.
2. In small bowl, pour boiling water over raisins ; stir in butter until melted.
3. In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt ; stir in raisin mixture, molasses and egg.
4. Pour into mold ; cover mold tightly with foil.
5. Place mold on rack in 4-quart Dutch oven or steamer ; pour enough boiling water into Dutch oven until halfway up mold.
6. Cover Dutch oven ; keep water boiling over low heat about 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center of pudding comes out clean.
7. Meanwhile, make Creamy sauce or Rum hard sauce.
8. Remove mold from Dutch oven ; let stand 5 minutes ; unmold.
9. Serve warm pudding with sauce.

Creamy sauce

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

1. In 1-quart saucepan, mix powdered sugar and butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Stir in whipping cream ; heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve warm.

Rum hard sauce

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract

1. In small bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until smooth.
2. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and rum.
3. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

BON APPÉTIT