The holidays are certainly a time to reminisce and share traditions with those close to us. One dessert that was not something my mother made growing up, but that was mentioned in numerous holiday songs and carols was the elusive plum pudding. I was not even aware that plum pudding was not pudding at all, but rather cake until a good friend of mine mentioned one year that it was just about time to make hers for the season. Plum pudding is a tradition in her family that she can trace directly back four generations and it likely goes much further than that. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me, and I have had so much fun preparing it the past few years for my family and friends! This post will not give you the exact recipe because it is not mine to share, but there are many recipes online that are good places to start. Instead, I wanted to convince you to try it yourself and to give you a few tips I learned along the way.
As one can imagine, plum pudding has some interesting and difficult to find ingredients. Here are some tips that may help you to locate and work with these ingredients if you decide to accept the challenge of preparing your own plum pudding!
Suet - One difficult to locate but crucial ingredient is beef suet. In my neck of the woods in the Pacific Northwest, it can be found at butcher shops. Grocery stores rarely carry it. You might be wondering if the recipe uses suet only for tradition-sake, but there is a more compelling reason. Suet is the fat source in the recipe obviously, but it also serves as a substitute for a leavening agent. Since suet has a very high melting point, the cake forms around the tiny suet pieces when cooking. Eventually, the suet melts into the cake leaving little air pockets throughout. A search online can give you ideas for alternative fats you can use if suet is not an option, although the consistency of the pudding may not be the same.
Citron – In my quest to find citron, I discovered a few things. The first is that citron is a citrus fruit that is a distinct species from lemons, limes, etc. that you find in the grocery store. The second is that the recipe actually calls for the candied version. Since this is an important component of my recipe and both versions were absent from multiple grocery store inventories this year, I decided to try and make my own candied version using lemons, which turned out really well. Like with the plum pudding, there are numerous recipes on the internet for candied citrus rinds so I will not get into it here, but suffice it to say that I had to postpone my plum pudding making day to later in the week since homemade candied lemon rind takes at least 2 days to make. Ultimately, I was able to chop it up and add it to my plum pudding! It was slightly bitter, but the overall taste was a big punch of sour and sweet at the same time that was quite delicious.
Cooking – In addition to difficult to find ingredients, the cooking of the plum pudding is a production. It must steam on a stove for eight hours. Modern cooking apparatus consists of any metal or ceramic container with a tight-fitting lid that will fit fully into a larger pot with a lid (for steaming). Some kitchen shops sell plum pudding molds which have handy little lids that lock into place. In the absence of such containers, a metal, BPA-free coffee can and aluminum foil (for the lid) also work just fine.
If you like tradition, then this is a great place to start. The dish gives off fruitcake vibes, which is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is unbeatable if you are looking for a truly traditional holiday dessert. In years past, there have been those in my family who like the plum pudding a lot, those who learned to like it, and those who are simply not fans, but it gives everyone an appreciation for traditions forged in the past. Happy Cooking!
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