Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06
Table and Rtahen.
To Crown the Christmas Feast.


The English plum pudding always the de-
lightful feature of the Christmas dinner in
this country, as well as in GreauBritain, Is
appreciated not only for Its good-tasting
qualities, but for the history and romance
entwined around it in connection with this
great and glorious feast day without go
ing too far back in It's history. suffice it to
say that the Christmas plum pudding Is al
most as old as the day itself. sCenturies
ago, however, it was known as porrfdge
and always preceded the meat course, as
does the soup of the present day. After
repeated experiments by many noted chefs,
1t was made into pudding, rich sauces ac-
companying it, and has been served In this
way ever since Strange as it may seem, 1t is
a fact that, although it has become almost
the characteristic dish of the Christmas
dinner in this country, II is very H}tie
known, or at least is not popular on the
continent, as the following story which mas
lately come to our ears will serve to prove:
An Englishman, while travelling In france,
wishing to show his appreciation OF many
kind attentions which had been SHOWN MIN
by some friends, decided to give them as
great treat and surprise an English plum
pudding at a Christmas dinner which was
given in their honor. He gave ms COOK,
who was French, explicit orders regarding
the ingredients of the pudding, but omitted
pudding cloth. The consequence was that
the pudding when mixed was stirred into
pot of boiling water, the ingredients, OF
course, separating, forming soup, and to
the great disnlay of the host, was served
as such.
There are great many varieties OF plum
buildings, although all have about the same
ingredients for their foundation-dinerlng
perhaps in the amount of fruit used, the
preference of certain spice or other fla
voring and the degree of richness required
This. however. is a matter of taste and
sometimes convenience, for while our diges-
tive organs would not in the least be dis
turbed by pudding made after the fashion
of one of our grandmother Sin which each
and every member of the family had to
have hand even to the little tot, whose
tiny fingers were placed on the hand1e OF
the spoon to add her stir to those of the
other members of the family in order to
make the pudding quite the proper thing
very few of us would survive one made
after the recipe of the ancients-in which
the ingredients of the pudding already rich
in spices was covered with thick custard
favored with orange-fower water, the
whole placed in a thick and rich suet crust
then steamed and served with a rich wine
or brandy sauce. This pudding Is known
as the Pudding of the Three Kings" and
is symbolical the spices and other rich In
gradients representing the gifts OF the
three wise men of the east, and the rich
paste the casket holding the gifts. recipe
found satisfactory will be found in the
English Plum Pudding.
Beat four eggs add to this glass of
brandy two-thirds of a cup of granulated
sugar, beat we'll. Mix together one pound
each of dried raisins and currants, one-half
pound each of candied orange peel and
citron grated rind of one lemon, three
fourths of a pound of chopped, suet one
half pound of stale bread crumbs, one cup
of flour, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one
half a nutmeg, grated. Add all these in
gradients to the egg mixture, place in
creased tin mold and boil from four to six
hours. The mixture may also be placed
in small bowl. with creased paper tied over
the top, placed In a steamer and steamed
for two or three hours. When wanted for
use place in the steamer again and cook
for an hour IL in small moldS or bowls and
three or four hours if in one large one.
Serve with brandy. or wine or with hard
sauce. T., ;,
Hard Sauce.
Beat to a cream two tablespoonfuls of
butter with two-thirds of "a cup of pow
dered sugar. Add to this the unbeaten
whites of two eggs, beat to cream. flavor
with vanilla or nutmeg. :ly.ase-2a
Brandy Sauce.
Make the same as hard sauce, adding
one-half cup each of brandy and hot water
stir thoroughly and serve while hot.
Plain Plum Pudding.
Beat three eggs, add one cup of sugar,
one cup of milk, one cup of bread crumbs,
two cups of flour, one cup of suet chopped
fine, one cup each of raisns and currants,
one-fourth cup of chopped citron, one tea
spoonful of cinnamon, one-half a nutmeg
one teaspoonful baking powder. Mix all
well together, place in a creased mold and
boil three or four hours. Serve with sauce
Chestnut Pudding.
Boil one pint of the large Spanish chest
nuts-remove the shells and thin skin
press through sieve or put through the
meat chopper. Cream one-half cup of but
ter with one-half cup of sugar, add to this
the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, one
cup or milk one-half cup of bread crumbs,
and the grated rind of one lemon Mix
this all thoroughly together with the chest
eggs, place in a buttered mold and steam
Tor about one hour. Serve with custard
sauce or whipped cream
Iced Fruit Pudding.
Cook one-half cup of rice until soft in
milk; press through a sieve and add TO 1t
the well-beaten yolks of four eggs and one
cup of sugar. Cook for a few minutes over
the fire. and when it begins to thicken re-
move from the fire, add one tablespoonful
Of vanilla and stand aside to COOL When
cold place in an ice-cream freezer and
freeze, and when 1t begins to stiffen add to
1t one-haf cup each of candied cherries,
pineapple or any other fruit preferred and
one pint of whipped cream. Repack and
stand away for an hour or two, until ready
to serve.
Scotch Plum Pudding.
Shred and chop one-half pound of suet,
add to this four ounces of bread crumbs,
one pound of marmalade, two ounces of
candied orange peel. Beat five eggs, add to
the mixture, beat until smooth place in
buttered mold, cover closely and boil five
hours Serve with sauce
Christmas Fruit Cake.
Beat one pound of butter to a cream, add
to 1t one pound Of granulated sugar Beat
to cream nine eggs, add one-half cup of
brandy. mix well with the butter and sugar.
Now mix together one pound each Of dried
currants and raisins one-fourth pound each
Of citron and candied lemon peel, one-half
nutmeg, one teaspoonfu1 cinnamon, five
cups of flour; mix all we'll together and
bake in cake pan lined with; buttered
paper for four hours in Stow pyen. This
cake should be made months before Christ
mas, as it is greatly improved by standing.
If covered with a thick plain icing it will
keep much better. becoming moist and soft