Bozicni Kolac - Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding, A Traditional Recipe

Every English cook has their own Christmas Pudding or Plum Pudding recipe. There are literally hundreds of variations, but they all have commonalities. Present in all of them are an assortment of dried and candied fruits; raisins, currants, cherries, dates, prunes, candied citrus rind, even apples. Most of them use some type of suet or shortening and all have some type of liquor or ale; brandy, rum, stout, Porter (an Irish recipe uses Guiness, of course). The spices used are similar; nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice and the like. The binder is usually bread crumbs, but some recipes call for flour.

Many of the recipes call for the pudding to made the last day of November so it may "age" until Christmas, melding the flavors and intensifying the taste. Before serving, it is boiled again for up to four hours, then delivered to the table aflame from a gill of brandy poured over it. Lights are dimmed as it is brought from the kitchen, flickering with purple brandy flames. The Christmas Pudding is sliced and served, often with a rum butter, hardsauce or custard sauce. The serving of the pudding is the highlight of the Christmas Dinner.

A very basic recipe is one that was served at Windsor Castle in 1899 for Queen Victoria's Christmas Dinner.

3/4 lb. raisins
3/4 lb. currants
1/2 lb. candied orange, lemon and citron
1 1/4 lb. chopped beef suet (or shortening)
1 lb. flour (2 cups)
3/4 lb. moist sugar (brown sugar is preferred)
4 eggs
3 gills of milk (1 1/2 cups)
Grated rind of two lemons
1/2 oz. each of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves
1 glass brandy (1/4 cup)
Pinch of salt

German Custard Sauce
4 egg yolks
2 oz. pounded sugar (1/4 cup)
1 glass Sherry (1/4 cup)
Orange or Lemon peel, rubbed on loaf sugar
Pinch of salt

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a large basin (bowl) several hours before the pudding is to be boiled. Pour into a mold and spread with butter, tie up in a cloth. The pudding is then boiled for 4 1/2 hours. When done, dish it up with German custard sauce over it.

German Custard Sauce: Whisk this sharply over low fire until it assumes the appearance of a light, frothy custard.

Source: Royal Insight Collection, from Queen Victoria's Christmas Dinner at Windsor Castle, 1899.