Plum Pudding

Ingredients

• 5 cups bread crumbs
• 1 pint scalding milk
• 2 large tablespoons flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped suet
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 3 cups raisins, seeded and halved
• 3 cups currants
• 1 large piece of citron, sliced thin
• candied orange peel, to taste
• candied lemon peel, to taste
• blanched almonds, halved, to taste
• or pecans, to taste
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• a little hot water
• brandy or whiskey, for serving

Directions

1. Pour scalding milk over the bread crumbs to moisten them.

2. In a large bowl, combine the moistened bread crumbs with flour, brown sugar, salt, chopped suet, beaten eggs, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves.

3. Add the raisins, currants, citron, candied orange and lemon peel, and blanched almonds or pecans.

4. Dissolve the baking soda in a little hot water and mix it into the pudding mixture.

5. Transfer the mixture to a pudding mold and boil for 4 hours.

6. Once cooked, stick blanched and split almonds all over the pudding.

7. Pour brandy or whiskey over the pudding and carefully ignite it before serving.