The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-12-15
Msefal aud Curious.
A PLUM PUDDING.
Recipe for the Proper Prcparafiea Of shs
Grown Of the Cbristmss Table.


lady who is high authority on all matters
! on culinary, contributes the following to the
Philadelphia Pres: By the common consent Of
Christendom good cheer is part of the great
religious festival which is now upon us, and high
among all Christmas roastings and bakings,
Christmas pies, cakes, and confectionery, in
grand pre-eminenee, like the lordly chief of an
iilustrious tribe, stands the Christmas plum
pudding. To compound, prepare, and cook n
pndding is piece of culinary and confectionery
art which cannot be done by novice. To do
this work properly requires experience, skill,
and taste. Ny first remark is that the materials
| of this dish must all be of the very best. Medi-
OGRE poetry, it is admitted, is no poetry at all.
To partake of plum pudding is 4 fruition of the
prayer. give and preserve to us the kindly fruits
of the earth, that in due time We mar enjoy them,r
and to attempt to compose one of ingredients of
an inferior quality, instead Of worshipping the
bounty Of Providence, is so far to bring it into
| contempt. Cheap and poor materials here are
equally offensive 10 piety, good taste, and the
laws of digestion.
duces raisins of the first quslity-England pro-
duces none; wash and clean pound of eurrants;
mince fine pound best beef suet; mix with this
IN large pan pound Of stale bread crumbs and
half pound of -four; beat together, in another
pan, six eggs, and mix with these about half
pint of milk; pour this over the suet and the
flour; stir and beat the whole we'll together:
now add the eurrants and raisins, seasoned with
an ounce of cinnamon, half an ounce of ginger
grated nutmeg, a teaspoonful of salt, and half
pound Of sugar England cannot grow sugar
cane. America, more fortunate, produces the
best of sugar, and in large quantities. (The
above may be made richer by adding more sugar
and eggs.) Chop up fine six ounces Of candied
citron, q quarter ola pound of almonds, and two
ounces of preserved lemon-peel (all Of these ar
ficles grow IN California, and not in England y
pour in glass of best California brandy (this
ingredient is not produced by England.)
Plum pudding is boiled either in a cloth or in
an ornamental monld tied up in a cloth. In
either way it requires time. Rome was not built
in day, and high piece of art like plum pnd-
ding requires at least six hours TO boil Ii is i'm
portant to keep in mind that plum pudding is
in some respects like a duck-it likes to swim,
and TO do this it requires plenty of room. 1t
should be boiled, therefore, in large pot and
this should contain plenty of water. 4 small pot
and shallow water its adherence. The
proof Of this will appear in the eating of it, The
boiling also shonld not be spasmodic-now rap
idly and now slowly-the boiling should he brisk,
and this briskness should be kept up equally
to the end.
To the novice and the uninitiated it would
appear to be very simple and easy thing to
take the pudding out of the bag without break
ing it. This is not This part of the process
requires much dainty manipulation as to land
n salmon trout, when you have caught him
your hoos. To take the pudding ouf Of the bag,
and yet preserve its form wholly nniniured. you
water. The Office of the cold water is to chill
and solidify the surface, that il may part
smoothly from Its cloth covering. Place il in u
basin of the same size as the pudding, SO that it
will just receive and hold it. Unite the cloth
and lay bare the pudding to the edge of the BASIN
Place upon it upside DOWN the dish in which
it is to be served. Irvert dish, pudding, bag
and all, so that the pudding may rest, right side
up, on the dish. Lift off the basin, remove the
cloth, and there is Your plum pudding in all en-.
sfr..t,- l..
and rs appetizing and beautiful as so much
mamma from heaven.
Plum pudding may be baked rs well as boiled.
This is n good device when you are short of time;
for while it requires six hours to boil this pud-
ding, II may be baked in two hours. When
baked it must be done in a mold. Before pour
ing the ingredients Of the pudding into the mold
let the inside of the mold be well butteBed.
Whether you bake your pudding or boil it, the
following is an expedent which will greatly i'm
prove its excellence: Prepare and mix your ma
terials twenty-four hours before you begin to
cook, and let them stand for this length of time
untouched. In this way each will permeate all
the others more fully, and secure more of that
perfect blending of all the various juices and
flavors which is the object of the entire process
to bring about. may add here that time is the
essence of all good cookery, and those ladies and
gentlemen make n great mistake who, in their
orders, hurry the cook. Whether boiling, baking,
roasting lapse of time is of the essence of the
chemistry of the operation, and patience is part
of the price of excellence.
Proceed We now to compound nectar for this
ambrosia-the sauce: Put into small sauce
pan two ounces of the best quality of butter; to
this add tablespoonful of flour; mix these well
together while cold, with q spoon made of wood.
Ponr in half pint of cold water, and add =
little salt. Place these over the fire and stir
until they have nearly reached the boiling point
Now add glass of the best California or Cataw-
la brandy, some fine sugar don't spoil it with
\ n ciu and he at.1
peel of half lemon. Make the sauce hot and
sprinkle dash of cinnamon on the top.
Now ornament our CeRteHnial Christmas plum
pudding with q miniature American flag stuck
on the top; pOur over it small quantity of the
best California or Catawba brandy; set this last
on fire on the dish, aud then serve in blaze of
glory, 20 the tune of "IIail. Columbia, Happy
Land ~