MARCIN JUCHA | DREAMTIME.COM
By Margaret M. Johnson
If you love Christmas like I do, you’ll want to jump right into the kitchen to check your supplies of mincemeat, candied peel, and dried fruit. If you’re well stocked, you can start your Christmas pudding now, but for those less inclined to undertake the rather lengthy process, the bread pudding, and whiskey cake will satisfy as well. Happy Christmas to all!
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH BRANDY BUTTER
SERVES 10 to 12
The original figgy pudding, created sometime in the 1400s, was a dish of dried figs, dates, raisins, and spices boiled in almond milk. Also called plum pudding, despite the fact it contains no plums whatsoever, this steamed or boiled pudding was first recorded as “Christmas Pudding” in the 1850s. The name is probably derived from the substitution of raisins for dried plums as an ingredient in pies during medieval times. Curiously, plum pudding was a latecomer to Ireland, but it caught on quickly and today is one of the best-loved Christmas desserts. Not to be confused with fruitcake, it’s actually more like a dense spice cake. Brandy Butter is the quintessential topping.
For the pudding
1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 cup currants
1/4 cup chopped dried fruit, such as cranberries, raisins, and figs
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup candied cherries, halved
1/4 cup candied mixed peel
1/3 cup brandy or dark rum
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped stem ginger
1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the brandy butter
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons brandy
- Make pudding. In a large glass bowl, combine fruits, candied cherries, and mixed peel. Add brandy or rum, orange zest, and juice; cover, and then leave at room temperature overnight.
- Butter a 6-cup pudding mold or deep heatproof bowl and place a round of wax paper on bottom. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs. Stir in soaked fruits, ginger, apple, flour, breadcrumbs, mixed spice, and cinnamon. Spoon batter into prepared mold and smooth the top.
- Cover with a double piece of buttered wax paper and a double piece of aluminum foil. Fold together and make a pleat in the center (to allow pudding to expand). Tie paper and foil in place with kitchen twine. Place mold in a large saucepan or Dutch oven fitted with a rack, or put a folded kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot to prevent direct contact with bottom of pot. Add enough hot water to the pot to come halfway up sides of the mold or dish. Cover and steam on medium-low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. (Check the water level once or twice during cooking and add more water when necessary.)
- Carefully remove pudding mold from pot. Remove foil and parchment, and run a metal spatula around sides to loosen. Place a serving plate over mold and invert. Slice and serve warm with brandy butter. (If not serving immediately, let pudding cool, covered, in mold. When completely cool, unmold, wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Refrigerate pudding for up to one week or freeze).
- Make brandy butter. In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add brandy and beat until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or crock, cover, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Return to room temperature before serving.
- To reheat, put pudding back into its mold, cover with wax paper or foil, and steam for one hour, as above, or until heated through. (Thaw frozen pudding before reheating as above). Cut into slices and serve with Brandy Butter.
IRISH WHISKEY CAKE
SERVES 10 TO 12
Traditional Christmas cake made with candied fruits and nuts is a popular Irish holiday dessert. I love it, but this recipe is often preferred as it’s much lighter in texture and tastes more like a spicy raisin cake than a heavy fruitcake. The cake is topped with creamy whiskey-flavored icing.
For the cake
1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
For the icing
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
Chopped walnuts for topping
- Make cake. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch springform pan and dust with flour; tap out excess.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine raisins and water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid begins to thicken. Drain; reserve 3/4 cup of liquid and raisins.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in flour mixture alternately with reserved liquid. Fold in raisins, walnuts, and whiskey.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Release sides of pan. Invert cake onto a plate, remove base, and return to upright; let cool completely.
- Make icing. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until blended. Add milk and whiskey and beat until smooth.
- With an offset spatula, spread icing over top and sprinkle with walnuts. Let icing set for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting the cake into slices.
BREAD PUDDING WITH CHRISTMAS FRUITS
SERVES 8
This pudding is reminiscent of an Irish “brack,” where the fruit is first soaked in either tea or whiskey. This version uses rum-soaked raisins, sultanas, and holiday fruits like dried cranberries and chopped apricots, and instead of traditional white bread, it’s made with brioche. For an extra boozy version, top it with purchased rum-raisin ice cream.
1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
3/4 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 large eggs
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Slivered almonds for topping
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish or eight (8-ounce) ramekins.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rum, orange juice, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, and apricots. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes; drain fruit and set aside. Discard liquid.
- Combine bread with soaked fruits in prepared baking pan or ramekins. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, sugar, and spices. Pour custard over bread and fruit. With a spatula, press down to be sure bread absorbs the liquid. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.
- Place baking dish or ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pudding is set and top is golden. Remove baking dish or ramekins from water and let cool on a wire rack. (If baking pudding in ramekins, run a knife around the side of the dishes, invert onto 8 serving plates, and return to upright.) Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
Margaret M. Johnson’s ”Favorite Flavors of Ireland” is a “labor of love and tribute to her thirty years of travel there. It offers more than 100 best-loved recipes from her previous ten cookbooks and celebrates the special flavors of each Irish season: Spring/An t-Earrach, Summer/An Samhradh, Autum/An Fómhar, Winter/An Geimhreadh.” To order a signed copy, visit www.irishcook.com.
