Christmas Pudding with Sauce

This recipe for Christmas pudding comes from my husband's Grandma. In our early years of marriage I came to enjoy this family recipe which was served along with other desserts after Christmas dinner. We all enjoy the pudding, but it's the sauce that makes the pudding. Pudding:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup butter, frozen and grated ***see note***
• 4 cups raisins, a mixture of dark and golden
• 1 cup chopped figs
• 1 1/2 cup mixed peel, put through a food processor
• 1 cup red cherries
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda, dissolved in 3 tsp warm water

1. Add all ingredients into a very large mixing bowl and mix together well.
2. Christmas pudding is often made in a mold or large bowl, but grandma filled 3 wide mouth mason jars with this mixture. Dividing it to fill the jars 3/4 full. Seal loosely with new canning lids.
3. To avoid scorching the bottom of the pudding while streaming, place small Pyrex bowls, or other heat proof dishes or extra canning jar lids in the bottom of the pot to set jars on top of. Place jars on top of the Pyrex bowls in a large pot of hot water on the stove top. The water should sit about half way up the jars. Steam pudding in jars for 3 hours adding boiling water to the pot as needed during steaming.
4. Once the pudding has steamed, remove from heat and tighten lids. Lids will snap shut as the pudding cools, and pudding will be sealed. Store in a dark cool place or in the refrigerator. Pudding is best if it has a few weeks to sit. Because this pudding is sealed once steamed, it will keep well for up to a year stored in a cool dark place.
5. When ready to serve. Remove lid. Place jar or pudding in a pot, again setting the jars onto a Pyrex or heat proof bowl to avoid scorching the pudding while re steaming. Add water about 1/2 way up the jar. Steam pudding for at least an hour to re heat. Serve warm with Christmas Pudding Sauce. Recipe follows.

NOTE: This recipe was originally made with suet. We now substitute the suet for butter that is frozen and then grated into fine pieces. If using suet, use the same amount as the butter.

Christmas Pudding Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated. Set aside egg whites to whip for last step.
• pinch salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped stiff

1. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Stir in flour until smooth.
2. Beat egg yolk adding to it the sugar, salt and milk. Whisk together.
3. Add egg mixture to butter and flour mixture and stir well.
4. Cook mixture until thick and smooth. Allow to cool.
5. Beat egg white until very stiff. Fold into cooled mixture.
6. Whip cream and fold into mixture.
7. Serve over warm steamed Christmas pudding.
8. Sauce will keep well in refrigerator for several days. Lightly stir when ready to serve.

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