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Traditional English Plum Pudding with Homemade Brandy Butter Sauce

A close-up of a rich, dark plum pudding, cut open and generously topped with flowing vanilla custard sauce.
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Make the classic, rich, and moist English Plum Pudding for your holiday celebration. This recipe includes detailed steaming instructions and a simple recipe for the essential homemade Brandy Butter Sauce.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded suet (or substitute cold butter, cubed)
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup dark raisins
  • 1 cup currants
  • 1/2 cup chopped candied citron or mixed peel
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup stout or dark beer
  • 1/4 cup brandy, plus more for soaking and serving
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • For the Brandy Butter Sauce: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Cut in the suet or cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Stir in the brown sugar, raisins, currants, candied peel, and almonds until evenly distributed.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, stout, 1/4 cup brandy, molasses, and orange zest.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Lightly grease a 1.5-quart pudding basin. Spoon the batter into the basin, pressing it down gently.
  7. Cover the top of the basin tightly with a double layer of parchment paper, followed by a double layer of aluminum foil, crimping the edges securely around the rim. Create a pleat in the center of the paper/foil to allow for expansion.
  8. Place the covered basin into a large pot. Pour boiling water into the pot until it reaches halfway up the side of the pudding basin.
  9. Cover the pot and steam the pudding over low, simmering heat for 6 hours, checking the water level every hour and adding more boiling water as needed.
  10. Once steamed, carefully remove the basin from the pot. Remove the foil and parchment. Allow the pudding to cool completely.
  11. To store, cover the cooled pudding tightly with fresh plastic wrap and foil. Refrigerate for up to several weeks or freeze for up to a year.
  12. To serve, re-cover the pudding and steam again for 2 hours, or microwave briefly until heated through.
  13. While the pudding heats, prepare the Brandy Butter Sauce: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of brandy.
  14. Invert the hot pudding onto a serving plate. Pour extra brandy over the top and carefully ignite it just before serving alongside the Brandy Butter Sauce.

Notes

  • For the best flavor, soak the dried fruit in the brandy overnight before mixing the batter.
  • If you do not have a pudding basin, you can use a heatproof bowl of similar size, covered as directed.
  • To flame the pudding, warm the serving brandy slightly in a small saucepan, pour it over the pudding, and carefully light it with a long match. Let the flames die down before serving.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://dishicious.com/plum-pudding-traditional-english-recipe/