Plum Pudding

Brits and other purists, I admit it: This is not authentic plum pudding. I don't know where my mother got the recipe, but this is what we ate at Christmas time for as long as I can remember. Aside from the long steaming time, it's really quite easy to make.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  cup milk
• 3  cups  coarse  soft breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 cup  oil
• 1⁄2 cup molasses
• 1  cup flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup raisins
• 1⁄2 cup  cut-up citron

Directions

1. Put the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and pour the milk over them.
2. Blend in the oil and the molasses.
3. Stir in remaining dry ingredients and then the raisins and citron.
4. Pour into a 1-qt.
5. mold or heat resistant bowl that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
6. Place the mold on a rack in a larger pan (e. g. a large stockpot or dutch oven) and put a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the larger pan.
7. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to keep the water just simmering; steam the pudding for 3 hours, checking occasionally to be sure water hasn't boiled away.
8. Remove from mold and serve hot.
9. Traditionally, plum pudding is served with hard sauce, but my mother always used a sweet white sauce.
10. If you want to try it this way, it is made the same way as a regular white sauce, with the following ingredients: 2 Tbsp.
11. butter or margarine, 2 c.
12. milk, 2 Tbsp.
13. cornstarch, 1/2 c.
14. sugar and 1/4 tsp.
15. vanilla (or for a very interesting flavor, almond extract).
16. This sauce thickens quite fast as it cools, so it needs to be served right away.
17. If you want a thicker sauce, add a tablespoon each of butter and cornstarch.