English pudding is probably the only dish in the world for which a month passes from the day of preparation to eating. True, this does not apply to all puddings, only Christmas traditional English puddings begin to be prepared almost a month before Christmas, namely on the pudding Sunday, which falls in mid-November. There are several versions of the origin of this iconic dish for Britain. We can only say with confidence that the word pudding itself comes from the Old German root, which means the stomach of a pet.
Pudding in its modern form appeared during the reign of Queen Victoria and since then its recipe has remained unchanged. As you know, its formation coincided with the peak of the glory of the British Empire and, probably, this fact served to turn the pudding into a symbol of its power. The preparation of pudding itself has overgrown with many traditions over time. Kneading English pudding should be every member of the family. Various objects with symbolic meaning were baked inside the cake: a six-penny pen (wealth), a ring (wedding), a button (single life for another year), and a bird's bone (travel). Before serving, the pudding is poured with a mixture of brandy and sugar, and is set on fire on the table.
When you gain experience in cooking English pudding, the recipe can be varied by yourself, but for now you will have to follow all the instructions thoroughly. We are preparing pudding for six servings, it will take only 5 hours, and for another month it will gain in condition. It's hard to believe, but it really is. That's where the British have so much patience, we would have at least a bit. We have a different upbringing - everything in the oven — swords on the table — but English pudding — you won’t wait until they throw it on the table.
It is necessary to prepare 110 grams of flour (note the accuracy, would write another 113.5); the same amount of white crackers, 200 g of sugar (preferably brown, I don’t know if we have it on sale, if not, then change it to a simple one); heels of eggs; 200g of beef interior fat (for our taste, beef fat and sugar do not combine in any way, I would replace it with butter); 150g of rum or brandy (rum must be taken dark); 200g pitted raisins; 100g cranberries or dried cherries; lemon zest from one lemon; fried almonds - 50g; cinnamon; allspice; nutmeg; honey (or better molasses, only where to get it?); dried fruits; nuts. That's why the British needed an empire so that all the ingredients for the pudding were not imported from abroad. It looks like our gardeners who cook only from what grows in their garden. We begin to prepare English pudding. The recipe is taken from an old cookbook.
Grind the almonds, pour cherries and candied rum and leave to soak for half an hour. Now grind the beef fat and put it in the beaten eggs with sugar, add the flour and crackers and mix thoroughly the resulting mass. In short, put everything except nuts, dried fruits and honey in a cup. We will need a pudding baking dish. Pour the mixture into the mold. Cover the top of the form with parchment, fix it with twine, and cover it with foil on top. Now put the mold in a double boiler and cook for five hours. Water will have to be added from time to time. After a five-hour steaming, the English pudding will need to be cooled for two hours without removing the foil. Turn the form on the plate. Now you can decorate it with dried fruits and nuts and pour over honey or molasses. Immediately, as already mentioned, it is impossible to eat. You have to wait at least a week. But, in general, it can be stored up to six months. In the fridge, I suppose. If there is an opportunity to get molasses, then we replace all the sugar in the recipe with it, at the same time you will not have to bother with brown sugar. Before serving, it will need to be heated in a double boiler, pour brandy and set on fire.