Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06
Written for TIC Evening star
CHRISTMAS PLUM PUppPa.
To he Used ON That Day II should h Msds
Now.

To he Used ON That Day lt should h Msda
Now.
THE VARIETY or rupplxos-ax olp rSctrxu
cusroN-Ax ESoLIsH REcIrE-A YANKEE
PLUM rrpDNo-sAUcE ron A Prppno-nNoH
SUGGESTIONS.
CHRIsTMAs CLAIMS is plum pudding No
Mess rightfully thxn lie turkey. Al 10 pri-
ority. Of origin between the two IL 10 possibly
question yet 10 be decided.
Plum puddings are reputed 20 have been
great favorite with the ancients and Job 10
alleged 20 have owned . turkey, though there
is no well-suthenticated account Of the latter
In print The origin OF either 10 . matter no
one At 9 time 90 near the 25th OF December ~
this is inclined or willing 90 waste much time
In talking over. the special interest involved st
present being the wherewithal and howwithai
necessary for the Christmas production Of the
pudding.
Plum buildings are made. practically spesAp
ing,by the bag full and are usually in fact should
DE, made weeks before serving. Like lie
cousins, the fruit cake and mince pie, Il is the
better by keeping. Now IL therefore essen
uaiiy the proper season 70 Law in the ingrs-
slents and prepare the pudding TO DO served
on Christmas day.
THE VARIETY or rrDprNas
s endless and when properly made all are
good liz Is a something that will be popular
under careful tuition in spite Of itself. lie rep
utauon for causing various and snndry post
prandial disturbances and producing spiritual
istic seanees with hobgobiins. snixzards and
whirllygigs fails to impair lite popularity or de-
crease its consumption. Housekeepers are
ever on the alert for some new ingredient 20
add to give rest 10 piquancy and enterprising
chefs are continually ransacking their stock of
ingenuity TO see something novel and temptinp
in Its connection and service.
Livery innovation, however. every dainty
added, while IL may impart a new aud barely
perceptble but deliciously delicate favor, car
only contribute enthusiasm 20 the wild frsntics
OF the dancing demons which inevitably haunt
the dreams OF those who psrtake OF it unspar-
ingly.
An OLD KsGrisH crsroA.
Il is a matter Of history that the English
people are exceedingly fond of the plum pud
ding. In fact in earlier times they began din
ner by eating pudding and that frugal mel
was known as pudding time" In some por-
tons OF Great Britain the custom il kept up ~
the present day. While the French poke q
great deal OF fun at their neighbors across the
channel about their fondness for their ms
tional dish" we note that a plum pudding pre-
pared and cooked as the French themselves do
1t is as sumptuous a morsel as ever man dined
upon.
AN fSaLrsH PLuM PUDDING.
II is said Of good King Arthur in rhymes n
"A bag pudding the king did make
And stuffed il well with plums,
And in IL put great Jumps OF fat
As big as his two thumbs"
The recipe is not given in detail except thss
three bags OF barley meal" were used ss
foundation. The following is less pretentious
In quantity, but as IL il taken from q manu-
scrip recipe written in 1883 il was evidently AZ
that time traditional descendant of the royal
dish OF still earlier times alluded to:
Zone pound Of suet shredded and chopped
fine, one pound Of best raisins cut in halves and
seeded, one pound of currsnts carefully washed
and dried, half pound OF citron cut fine, four
tablespoonfuls OF brown sugar rolled fine. two
handfuis Of grated stale bread, three table
spoonfuls Of -four, one beaten nutmeg a tea
spoonful each of mace and cinnamon. four large
tablespoonfuls of cream, nine eggs, one gill each
of brandy and wine and the grated rind and
juice of a lemon.
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Whip
the eggs until light, add the cream, brandy.
wine and lemon and pour this over the dry
mixture, stirring ali together well This guam
tity will make three very good sized puddings.
They should be tied in thick cotton cloths,
which must be first dipped in boiling water and
then Toured. In tying leave room for the pud-
ding to swell. To be eaten hot with brandy
sauce. They should be put in boiling water
and boiled for six hours the day they are made
and not less than two hours when wanted for
use. They can be kept for two to three months
in cool place"
When IL is not advisable to use brandy or
wine the juice Of two oranges can be substi-
tuted.
AYASKEE PuDDrya.
For getting at good thing directly and in
short order give due credit to the Yankee. He
megs or even artificial coffee and neglect 20 leave
the necessary means at home for the advance
preparation of the plum pudding for Christ
mas, but he or his most estimable help-mate
viii be sure to be equal to the occasion when
that important moment arrives. A day before
Christmas they would take large stale loaf Of
bakers bread--a box loaf without side crust h
the best-and crumble the soft part as fine 90
possible. Over these crumbs they would pour
one quart Of rich new milk boiling hot and add
two ounces of butter and q quarter Of a tea
spoonful Of salt. That they would let stand
until the next day and then stir in four beaten
eggs and one pound Of seeded raisins, bake in
q moderate oven until nice and brown and
with wine or brandy. Over this unpretentious
but exceedingly palatabie dish they would
smack their chops just the same King Ar
thur and his court did theirs over the big bag
full we read about.
FOR THEIR SAUCE
they would take one-half cup of butter, too
and one-half cups Of sugar. one dessertspoon-
lemon-juice and half the peel grated-one cup
OF boiling hot water and one glass, full up 20
the brim, of the best brandy or wine. or in the
absence Of either of these New England rum
would be used. They would work the butter
and sugar well, pour the corn starch into the
boiling water aud stir over clear fire until
well thickened, then put all together in a bowl
and heat Eve minutes before returning TO the
saucepan. Then after heating all at once 10 the
boiling point they would add the ''sperets" and
serve and enjoy beyond compare.
SOUTHERN PLUM PUDDING.
The Yankee, however, is scarcely better a
when something really nice in the way OF Q
plum pudding is wanted and wanted without
having to wait age for II than his warm
natured fellow citizen in the south. A south
ern housekeeper viii make q delicious plum
pudding inside Of twelve hours IL she does not
happen to have three or four weeks on hand 20
begin with. She viii take mashed Irish potato
and rub il in o quart Of sifted -four In
this she would put each q spoonful Of salt and
sugar and half teacup Of hop yeast and then
mix six beaten eggs with water 20 make soft
dough, knead one hour and set early in the
morning to rise. When light she would knead
in pound Of butter, two pounds of seedless
raisins, half pound Of citron chopped fine, Q
pound of currsnts and one grated nutmeg. This
she would put in Q bag, ~ usual, boil slowly
one hour and serve with wine sauce and with
much grace as IL il were orthodox and bad
been laid away a month. When, however,
SOMETHING REALLY RICE.
A promoter Of high prsncing nightmares snA
devil chasers with srrow-hesoed tails and