This plum pudding has been made by my father-in-law, Pat Quinn, for as long as I can remember. Pat would make several of these puddings each year, hang them up in his garage, and then deliver them to family and friends just before Christmas. A number of Shepparton homes would receive one each year. At our own Christmas lunch, it would always be served with Clare’s beautiful brandy sauce. Pat recently supervised the family making his famous plum pudding, and he was still calling the shots!
Ingredients
225g butter
225g brown sugar
170g plain flour
45g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
55g slivered almonds
170g breadcrumbs
225g raisins
225g currants
85g mixed peel (candied peel)
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon bi-carb soda, ½ tablespoon boiling water
1 ½ tablespoons treacle
2 tablespoons brandy
Method
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Separately combine the flour with the salt and spice. Then, to the butter mixture, add the fruits, almonds, nutmeg, breadcrumbs and flour mixture. Combine well.
Beat eggs thoroughly and add milk, then mix into the combined ingredients. Then, blend the bi-carb soda with the boiling water and add to the mixture. Then add the treacle, and lastly, mix in the brandy until everything is well combined.
Calico
You will need an 80cm-square piece of calico. Rinse it under hot water to remove the starch. Wearing rubber gloves, dip it into boiling water, then wring it out. Place ½ cup plain flour in the centre of the cloth. Rub in a circular motion to spread in a thin layer about 50cm in diameter.
Pudding mixture
Place the pudding mixture in the middle of your prepared piece of calico and gather up the corners. Tie it tightly with the butcher’s string as close to the pudding as possible (this is a two-person job). Make a loop at the end for hanging. Trim any excess calico. Immerse pudding in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 6 hours. Remove pudding from the pan (wear rubber gloves to protect your hands) and place it somewhere so it hangs freely. Allow to dry and cool; the pudding can hang in a cool, dry area for a week or so.
Clare’s brandy sauce
Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cup brandy mixed with 2 tablespoons cornflour
Method
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and simmer on low for around 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the water and simmer again for another 5 minutes, making sure all the sugar is dissolved; add the brandy mixed with the cornflour, whisking until the sauce has thickened.
To reheat the pudding
Immerse pudding in a saucepan of boiling water and then simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Allow to drain for 5 minutes before unwrapping. Then, place in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes to form a crust.
To serve
Serve with the warm brandy sauce and Sara Lee vanilla ice-cream and cream.
Deb’s tip
It’s important to make sure when you dip the calico in boiling water and ring it out with gloves ready for the pudding filling that you place the ½ cup of flour on the calico while the cloth is still hot. That way, the flour will stick to the pudding, and once the pudding is ready to serve, it will come away from the calico easily.