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Traditional Steamed Christmas Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce

A rich, dark plum pudding cut in half, drizzled with vanilla custard sauce and topped with nuts.
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Make this classic British dessert, a rich, spiced fruit pudding perfect for your holiday feast. This recipe includes instructions for steaming and a simple brandy butter sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 175g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 225g shredded suet (or vegetarian suet substitute)
  • 225g dark brown sugar, packed
  • 225g mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
  • 100g chopped dried apricots
  • 50g chopped glacé cherries
  • 50g chopped almonds or walnuts
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 60ml black treacle or molasses
  • 60ml strong black tea, cooled
  • 60ml brandy or dark rum, plus extra for soaking and serving
  • For the Brandy Butter Sauce: 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 115g icing sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Stir in the suet, brown sugar, mixed dried fruit, apricots, cherries, nuts, and citrus zests until everything is evenly coated with the flour mixture.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg, treacle, cooled tea, and 60ml of brandy or rum.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix well until you have a thick, sticky batter. Do not overmix.
  5. Grease a 1.2-liter pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin, pressing it down lightly. Leave about 2 cm of space at the top for expansion.
  6. Cover the basin tightly with a double layer of baking parchment, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Crimp the edges securely around the rim of the basin. Make a pleat in the center of the parchment and foil to allow room for rising.
  7. Steam the pudding: Place the basin in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Pour boiling water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pan and steam gently for 5 to 6 hours, checking the water level every hour and topping up with boiling water as needed.
  8. Once cooked, carefully remove the basin from the pan. Remove the parchment and foil. Allow the pudding to cool completely.
  9. To store, cover the cooled pudding tightly with fresh parchment and foil. You can store it in a cool, dark place for up to a year, or freeze it.
  10. To serve, re-steam the pudding for 2 hours, or heat in a microwave according to size.
  11. To make the Brandy Butter Sauce: In a bowl, beat the softened butter and sifted icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the 3 tablespoons of brandy until smooth.
  12. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate. Pour extra warm brandy over the top and carefully ignite it just before serving with the brandy butter sauce.

Notes

  • For the best flavor, make this traditional plum pudding several weeks or even months ahead of time. The flavors deepen as it matures.
  • If you do not have suet, you can substitute it with an equal amount of chilled, grated vegetable shortening.
  • If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute the brandy/rum with orange juice and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookincorner.com/plum-pudding-traditional-steamed-christmas-dessert/