Summer Plum Pudding Recipes

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the pudding, line a 2 quart mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Line the plastic wrap with the white bread slices, trimming to fit so that the pieces fit together neatly. Save enough bread to cover the top of the pudding.
• In a saucepan, combine the apple juice concentrate and all the berries. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the strawberries begin to soften, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat immediately.
• Stirring, dissolve the gelatin in the water, then add the mixture to the berries and stir to combine. Spoon into the bread-lined bowl. Cover with remaining bread slices, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and slightly weight it down. Chill overnight.
• When ready to serve, whip the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it forms soft peaks.
• Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Carefully turn the pudding out onto a platter, remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Serve in slices with whipped cream on top.

PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Mix together the rest of the ingredients, except the egg whites, adding just the yolks. Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Grease a pudding mold dredged with sugar and pour in batter. Cover the mold with its lid or cover tightly with foil. Steam for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of your mold. Serve hot with hard sauce. If you are not serving the pudding immediately, store in the refrigerator soaking in 1 ounce of brandy. Add 1 ounce each week.
• Serve with warmed Hard Sauce.
• Cream the butter in an electric mixer until pale in color. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the flavorings and mix in then adjust, to taste.

PLUM & ALMOND PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the plums, cinnamon, lemon zest and brandy, if using, together in a bowl, then leave to macerate while you make the batter.
• Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, then tip in the flour and ground almonds. Mix until completely combined.
• Tip the fruit into a buttered shallow baking dish, spoon over the cake batter, then sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for 35-40 mins until browned and cooked through. Test if the pudding is ready by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready; if there is some batter on the skewer, then give it a few mins more. Remove from the oven and serve warm with clotted cream.

PLUM AND BERRY SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Line six 3/4-cup custard cups with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang on all sides. Using 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 1 round from each bread slice; reserve.
• Combine plums and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup forms. Simmer until plums are tender and translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all berries; simmer until berries release their juices, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.
• Arrange 2 cooked plum slices in bottom of each custard cup. Top plums in each with 2 tablespoons fruit mixture with juices, then 1 bread round. Top each with remaining fruit mixture with juices, dividing equally. Place 1 bread round atop each; press into fruit mixture to compact. Cover puddings tightly with plastic-wrap overhang. Place custard cups on baking sheet. Top cups with another baking sheet. Place several food cans on top baking sheet to weigh down. Chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.).
• Unfold plastic wrap from top of custard cups. Invert puddings onto plates. Remove plastic wrap. Spoon whipped cream alongside and serve.

PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Oil a 2-quart steamer mold or pottery bowl very well with vegetable oil and let it stand as you make the pudding.
• Combine the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into the fruit and nuts. Add the suet, bread, brown sugar, eggs, and jam and blend well. Beat with a wooden spoon to lighten the mixture. Pour into mold. Cover with circle or parchment paper and put on a rack in a large kettle with enough water to come halfway up the sides. Cover and keep water boiling, replenishing as necessary. Steam for 6 hours.
• Uncover pudding and pour brandy over it; put a piece of waxed paper over pudding; replace parchment and set in a cool place or on low shelf of refrigerator to ripen.
• To serve, steam for 2 more hours and invert on a serving platter. Add the 1 teaspoon sugar to the cognac, heat, pour over warm pudding, and flame with a match. Serve with hard sauce.

TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Cut a large round from one of the slices of bread to fit in the bottom of a six-cup pudding bowl or basin. Cut the remaining slices in half and use to line the sides of the bowl, overlapping the slices slightly and trimming where necessary. Once you have finished lining the bowl, you should have enough bread left over for the top.
• Put the redcurrants, blackcurrants and blueberries in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, water and kirsch (if using) and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the juices start to flow from the berries. Add the remaining fruits - the blackberries, raspberries and strawberries - and heat gently for 5 minutes or until the berries have just softened. Remove from the heat.
• Spoon the fruit and juice into the lined pudding bowl and cover with the reserved bread, then cover with plastic wrap. Stand the bowl on a plate or small plastic tray to catch any juices. Place a small, flat plate on top of the pudding and add some extra weight, ideally about 1 kilo. Two tubs of margarine would do the job! Chill the pudding overnight.
• When you are ready to serve the pudding, remove the weights and the plate and plastic wrap, and using a palette knife, gently loosen it from the sides of the bowl. Invert the pudding onto a plate, preferably one with a small lip, to retain the juices and keep them on the plate. Shake gently to release the pudding, decorate with extra fruit around the base of the pudding and serve the pudding with cardamom cream.
• Cardamom Cream: Mix together the cardamom seeds and the cream and chill for two hours.
• Chef's Tip: To prevent gaps appearing in the bread as you line the bowl, trim the sides of each slice at an angle so that the slices fit more easily around the bowl.

SUGAR PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients with nuts, set aside.
• Beat eggs.
• Stir sugar, oil, and vanilla into beaten eggs.
• Stir in half of flour mixture until well blended.
• Add buttermilk, blend well.
• Add rest of flour mixture, mix well.
• Blend in prunes.
• Pour into greased pan (s).
• Bake 50-60 minutes.
• When done remove cake from oven.
• Put all topping ingredients into small saucepan heat on medium and bring to a boil.
• Pour 1/2 of mixture over top of cake.
• Pull cake away from sides of pan with a spatula or knife to allow liquid to soak in and around cake.
• Pour the rest of topping mixture over cake.
• Let soak overnight in refrigerator.
• Freezes well.