MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

     Title: Our Family's Plum Pudding 1992, I/II
Categories: British, Christmas, Desserts, Fruits, Harned 1994
     Yield: 1 batch

     2 c  Currants (1/2 pound)
          -- loosely packed
 1 1/2 c  Golden and/or muscat raisins
          -- (1/2 pound)
 1 1/2 c  Candied fruit peels
   1/4 c  Cognac
     2 c  English walnuts (1/2 pound)
          -- finely chopped
     2 c  Good beef suet (1/2 pound)
          -- ground by butcher
     1 c  Sifted flour
     1 ts Baking soda
   1/2 ts Salt
     1 ts Cinnamon
   1/2 ts Mace
   1/2 ts Nutmeg
   1/2 c  Blackberry jam or preserves
     1 c  Brown sugar
     5 c  Loosely packed fresh bread
          -crumbs
          -- from homemade-type bread
   1/2 c  Dry cocktail sherry
     6    Egg yolks; well beaten
     6    Egg whites; beaten stiff
          -- but not dry

MMMMM-------------------------FOR MOLDS------------------------------
     3    To 4 tb. soft butter
          Brown sugar or flour
          Candied red cherries (opt.)
          -- for bottom of molds
          Additional brandy or other
          -liquor
          -- for ripening pudding

MMMMM-------------------------HARD SAUCE------------------------------
   1/2 c  Butter; softened
 2 1/2 c  Sifted confectioners' sugar
     1 tb Brandy
          Few drops cream; if needed

MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
          Holly sprigs
          Candied fruit or angelica
          Brandy

 Combine the dried fruits and peels in a large bowl and sprinkle with
 cognac.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (or longer - in
 which case you may want to add more cognac).

 To the fruits in the large bowl, add nuts and suet.  Resift flour
 with the baking soda, salt and spices; then sift over the fruit
 mixture while tossing and mixing with a wooden spoon to evenly
 distribute the dry ingredients.  Stir in jam and brown sugar.

 Prepare the bread crumbs (use the food processor, removing crusts
 first if they are crusty and hard).  Sprinkle bread crumbs into the
 sherry, mixing with a fork.  Add to the fruit mixture.

 Add the beaten egg yolks; mix thoroughly.  Last, fold in beaten egg
 whites.

 Prepare two pudding molds.  This recipe makes enough for one 2-quart
 mold, and the remainder can be steamed in a coffee can - a 26-ounce
 can makes a round pudding about 3" tall.  (You could make one huge
 pudding if you have a container.)

 Grease molds with butter and then sprinkle them with sugar or dust
 with flour.  Arrange candied cherries in molds, if desired (cherries
 should be dusted with flour).  Fill 2-quart mold no more than 2/3
 full with batter. Cover pudding mold with its lid, fasten with clamps
 or tie on securely.

 For the coffee can, cover with its plastic lid, tie it on and wrap all
 with aluminum foil.  (The plastic will split.)  For a bowl without a
 lid, cover the top with layered waxed paper tied down securely, then
 do the same with aluminum foil.

 (Continued)

MMMMM