CHRISTMAS PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

225 g (8 oz)flour,110 g (4 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs,225 g (8 0z) Barbados sugar;6 eggs,225 g (8 oz) currants,338 g (12 oz) sultanas,338 (12 oz) raisins,112 g (4 oz) candied peel;150 ml (1/4 pint) brown ale; 30 ml spoons (2 tablespoons) brandy,175 (6 oz) blanched,slivered almonds;225 g (8 oz) suet,110 g (4 oz) glacé cherries;1 cooking apple;grated rind of large lemon;grated rind and juice of two oranges,1 x 5 ml spoon (1 teaspoon) mixed spice,2.5 ml cinnamon,half a grated nutmeg,1 x 5 ml salt.

METHOD

Finely chop the cherries and the candied peel,put them in a large deep bowl with the rest of the dried fruit.Peel,slice and chop the apple.And the grated lemon and orange peels and the almonds.Now add the suet,flour,breadcrumbs,sugar and spices with the salt.Mix thoroughly,add the well-beaten eggs,the ale and the brandy and the fruit juice. Stir and leave overnight.Put the mixture into pudding basins and leave a few centimetres at the top for the mixture to swell.Cover with greaseproof paper (or foil),then with a cloth securely tied below the rim with string. Put the puddings in pans,each on a trivet if possible, and with water three-quarters of the way up to the basins.Simmer on a very low heat for 8 hours,replenishing with boiling water when necessary.The puddings should be left to mature for a month before Christmas.When you are ready to use them,change the cloth of each basin for a fresh one,put the puddings to boil on a low heat as before,and simmer for two hours.Before taking the puddings,warm some brandy,pour it over the puddings and set light to it with a taper.Serve with brandy-butter or cream.If you are of a mind to do so,wrap some sixpences in paper and press them into the pudding on the top,before inverting it on to the serving dish.

VOCABULARY

Simmer.....Cocinar a fuego lento
Boil.......Hervir
1 oz.......una onza (28 g)
Fresh......reciente
Breadcrumbs....migas
Currents.......pasas de Corinto
Sultanas.......pasas
Raisins........uvas pasas
Candied peel...confites
Brown ale......cerveza tostada
Dried fruit....frutas secas
Spices.........especias
Ale............cerveza
Basins.........recipientes
Greaseproof paper.... papel de aluminio
foil..................papel de aluminio
Rim...................borde
Trivet................trípode
Cloth.................paño
Set light to something..poner algo al fuego
Wrap....................envolver
Blanched................escaldado
Slivered................troceado
Suet....................manteca
Glacé...................confitado
Grated..................rallado
Rind....................cáscara
Cinnamon................canela
Nutmeg..................nuez moscada
Chop....................trocear
Thoroughly..............concienzudamente
Well beaten.............bien batido.
Leave overnight.........dejarlo por la noche
To swell................crecer/hincharse
Pan.....................cacerola
String..................hilo
Simmer..................cocer a fuego lento
Mature..................madurar
Pour....................verter