Figgy Pudding

Chef James Thomas's Note:

I have always wondered what they were talking about in that Christmas carol. Well here it is; a recipe for Figgy Pudding. I always pictured a traditional pudding like we know it, but the English mean something different. It's actually more bread or cake-like. The taste may be a little strange to some, but to me it smells and tastes like Christmas. The figgy pudding should always be served warm. If you can't serve it fresh out of the oven, it will taste just fine to warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 15

Yield: 1.0 Cake

• 16 ounces dried figs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a a medium saucepan, heat milk and chopped figs over medium-low heat but do NOT bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The the milk will soften the figs.
3. In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs one minute on high. Reduce speed to low and add butter, bread crumbs, orange peel, and warm fig mixture.
5. Slowly incorporate flour mixture. Beat until just blended.
6. Pour the mix into the greased bundt pan. Level top as much as possible. Cover the mold with a piece of aluminum foil greased on one side, greased side down.
7. Place the mold in a roasting pan and place on oven rack. fIll with hot tap water 2 inches up the side of the mold. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is firm and it is pulling away from the side of the bundt pan.
8. Remove the pudding from the water bath. Remove the foil and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding. Invert bundt pan onto a serving plate and remove mold. It should come away easily.
9. Serve with a hard sauce.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

AWESOME PUDDING! And yes, it's not like our puddings over here the the USA! My mom used to make her Christmas pudding just this way (although it wasn't a fig pudding), & she'd do the hard sauce & a flaming sugar cube on top! This fig pudding tastes great all on its own, but I made a sauce recipe from Zaar (Raspberry Fig Sauce) that really did hit the spot! Thanks so much for sharing this figgy pudding recipe ~ It's a real keeper! [Tagged, made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in the current Pick A Chef]

[Kim Schollenberger]

This was my first time making figgy pudding. I tested two recipes and this was an absolute winner!! It was everything I hoped it would be and MORE! I wanted something with bread in it, so this was perfect. Your family (even your little ones) won't leave until they get some! I used a prepared butterscotch caramel sauce, which was great too! I steamed the pudding in small loaf pans covered with foil, which decreased the cooking time to 1 hour, 20 min. I even froze some for later and it was still moist and full of figgy flavor!

[Dennis Newton]

Incredible Christmas treat! My first Figgy Pudding, but it won't be my last. I used moist California figs. The pudding is more like a fruitcake than bread, but extremely tasty!