Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Steamed Christmas Pudding


Nearly 25 years ago my mother decided to start a new Christmas tradition that reflected her English roots. After much research, she found a recipe for steamed pudding that she loved. Each Christmas season, she would serve this pudding in a beautiful presentation of flaming pudding on a holly decorated plate. The children especially enjoyed the flames and fire as grandma carried this festive dessert to the table. Mom has been gone for three years now, and I decided it was time to revive the Christmas pudding. But after much searching, I cannot find mom's recipe. I know that it is somewhere in one of the recipes notebooks or files that she kept. Eventually it will show up. In the meantime, I found a similar recipe that I've adapted to gluten-free. Our family was very pleased with the results.

Steamed Christmas Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup amaranth flour*
1/4 cup sweet rice flour*
1/4 cup garbanzo flour*
1/4 cup tapioca starch*
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup grated raw carrots
1 cup grated raw potatoes
1/4 cup raw grated apple
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts, walnuts
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1/2 tsp. black walnut extract

Mix all ingredients together until moist. Place mixture in a prepared Pyrex bowl and cover with foil until secured. Put in a kettle of gently boiling water and cover with lid. Water should be 3/4 of the way up the side of the bowl. Steam for four hours, adding more water as necessary. Additional steaming is okay, but will result in an even darker pudding.

Serve with apple gravy (thickened apple juice concentrate with cinnamon added). To flame: soak sugar or sugar cubes in pure almond extract. Working quickly, place on top of pudding and light with a match. Take to table while flaming for a beautiful presentation.

*All-purpose flour may be substituted for the gluten-free flours given.

3 comments:

  1. It looks beautiful! I can't wait to try it myself.

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  2. Anonymous3:02 PM

    This looks great !!! I'll have to try this next Christmas. This year I made a simple berry and icecream pudding.

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  3. looks very tasty but time consuming ! I am sure its worth the work.

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