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Christmas Pudding.

Southern Mail (Bowral, NSW), 1935,

The Christmas pudding is better for keeping a few weeks. Here is an excellent recipe:

Take 1lb. breadcrumbs, 1lb. raisins, 1oz. citron peel, 1 grated carrot, ½lb. brown sugar, 1lb. muscatel raisins, 6oz. flour, 1Ib. shredded suet, 2oz. lemon peel, 6 eggs, 2 nutmegs, ½lb currants, ½lb orange peel, 3oz. almonds, 1½gills ale (if desired). Mix the breadcrumbs, sugar, grated nutmeg, chopped raisins, cleaned currants, minced peels, and a pinch of salt together in a basin. Stir in suet, then the minced blanched almonds. Add well beaten eggs, and remaining ingredients, without the ale. Beat for 2 or 3 minutes with a wooden spoon, then stir in the ale. Cover and leave for 7 days, stirring once daily. Pack into two buttered pudding basins if small puddings are wanted, or into a large pudding basin if a pudding for 12 is wanted. Cover with buttered paper, then a floured cloth. Steam for 7 or 8 hours in a saucepan with boiling water coming half-way up the sides. If two puddings are made of the mixture, 4 or 6 hours is long enough to cook. Cook either the small puddings or the large pudding for 4 hours on Christmas Day, then turn out, sprinkle with vanilla sugar, decorate with a sprig of Christmas bush, and serve with brandy or rum custard or the sauce below. Enough for 6 or 12 persons.

Sauce for the pudding. Two tablespoons butter, 1 cup icing sugar, 1½ tablespoons cream or milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla. Cream butter, add sugar slowly, and then cream and vanilla very slowly. Those who prefer a hard sauce can cream ½ cup butter, and stir in 1cup icing sugar. When well mixed, flavour with brandy to taste, adding it drop by drop.

Conversion chart

1lb breadcrumbs = 4 cups

1lb. raisins/currants = 2¾ cups

1oz citron/lemon peel/almonds = 1 tablespoon

½lb. brown sugar = 2½ cups.

6oz. flour = 1 cup

1Ib. shredded suet = 2 cups

½lb orange peel = ¾ cup

1½gills ale = ¾ cup