Traditional Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce

Prepare to be captivated by the fiery spectacle of this flaming plum pudding topped with a brandy butter sauce, the embodiment of Christmas with its aromatic spices and rich flavours.

The Cratchit family’s splendid Christmas dinner is triumphantly finished with a flaming plum pudding. Plum pudding has a long history in British cooking and is a much beloved Christmas delight. Studded with a plethora of candied, dried, and fresh fruit and then steamed to perfection, plum pudding is the perfect ending to our Christmas feast. Serve with a flourish of flaming brandy and a sweet butter sauce for a jubilant Christmas dinner finale.

That was the pudding! In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered—flushed, but smiling proudly—with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ingredient Notes

Fruit: Historically, the plum in plum pudding simply stood for fruits, often dried, of any kind that were generally seen as treats. Most plum puddings are a combination of dried, candied, and fresh fruits and this one is no exception. I have listed my preferred combination of fruit but you can certainly customize it. Generally speaking, this recipe calls for 1 cup of candied fruit and 1 & 1/2 cups of dried fruit along with grated apple and carrots. Feel free to use any variation of candied and dried fruits you prefer.

Brandy: It really wouldn’t be plum pudding without a splash of brandy! If you would rather make this recipe non-alcoholic, then substitute more orange juice for the brandy in the pudding recipe and either leave out the brandy in the sauce or use a brandy extract. Vanilla extract can be used instead to create a vanilla butter sauce.

Pudding basin: The earliest plum puddings would have been boiled in a muslin cloth which would sometimes lead to unfortunate accidents such as the cloth bursting. A pudding basin is a small bowl with straight, flared sides, and a rim around the edge, perfect for holding the string in place. However, if you don’t think that you will be making enough steamed pudding to justify purchasing one, you can use a heatproof bowl instead.

How to Make Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce

Prep the fruit

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sultanas, chopped prunes, candied citrus, and candied fruit mix. Cut the glacé cherries in half and add to the mixing bowl. Peel and grate the apple and carrot and add to the fruit mixture. Add the zest and juice of one orange along with the brandy and stir the mixture together well. Cover and set aside for at least 1 hour. The fruit can be left in the fridge overnight.

Make the plum pudding

First prepare the pudding basin. Cut a small circle of parchment paper that will fit inside the bottom of the basin. Spray the basin well with non-stick spray. Place the parchment circle on the bottom of the basin and spray again. Set aside. Cut another large circle of parchment paper that will cover the top of the bowl and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk together and then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat until blended – the mixture will appear crumbly. Add the egg and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the fruit mixture along with any juices. Fold together with a spatula until well mixed. The mixture may appear curdled, but this is normal.

Add the dry ingredients and stir together until smooth. Spoon the pudding batter into the basin and smooth the top. Place the parchment circle over the top of the basin and cover with a large piece of foil. Press the foil tightly around the edges. Use a piece of string to tie the foil tightly around the pudding basin. It should be as airtight as possible.

Steam the plum pudding

Fill a large pot of water with several inches of water. If the bowl you are using has a flat bottom then place a canning lid or even a little ring of folded aluminum foil under the bowl so that it isn’t resting completely on the bottom. Add the pudding basin and enough water so that it comes two thirds up the side.

Place over medium heat and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and then turn down the heat. Keep the water at a gentle simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Check occasionally that the water level hasn’t gone down too far, adding more if needed.

Check that the plum pudding is done by inserting a thermometer through the foil top and into the middle of the pudding. The temperature should register around 200°F. Remove the pudding basin from the pot and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Do not let it cool completely in the basin or it may become hard to remove.

Cut the string and remove the foil and parchment top. Use a spatula to gently run around the edge of the pudding and loosen it from the bowl. Pace a serving plate upside-down over the basin. Carefully flip the plate and basin over together. Gentle shake the basin, the pudding should fall onto the serving plate. Remove the small piece of parchment on the top of the pudding.

Make the brandy butter sauce

While the pudding is steaming, make the brandy butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and whisk together. This mixture will look gritty which is normal. Add the heavy cream and whisk together. Bring the sauce up to a boil, whisking regularly.

Remove from the heat and add the brandy. Set aside until serving. The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. It will harden when chills but can be reheated before serving. If you find that butter separating out a bit from the sauce, add a splash of heavy cream and whisk it back together.

Serve the Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce

It can be a lot of fun to serve the plum pudding with flaming brandy. Make sure that the pudding is on a heatproof platter. Add the brandy to a stainless steel ladle. Gently warm the ladle with brandy over a gas burner. If you don’t have a gas burner, you can warm the brandy in a small saucepan and carefully pour it into the ladle. Use a lighter to ignite the warm brandy in the ladle and drizzle it slowly over the pudding. Allow the flames to burn out.

Dust the pudding with icing sugar if desired and serve the plum pudding with the brandy butter sauce. Enjoy!

More recipes from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

• Roast Goose with Port Wine Gravy
• Baked Oysters with Vermouth Cream
• Scrooge’s Gruel: Oatmeal with Honey Spiced Pears
• Goose Fat Hasselback Potatoes
• Mulled Wine Braised Red Cabbage
• Smoking Bishop