Rom’s Plum Pudding
This was our Christmas pudding growing up. It was always made well in advance of Christmas, wrapped up and left to mature, and then brought out on the day itself — dark, heavy, and unapologetically rich.It was laced generously with brandy and served with custard from the Edmonds Cookbook. My designated job was to flambé the pudding at the table with yet more brandy. I’m still slightly amazed the house never caught fire.The recipe comes from a handwritten cookbook given to Rom by her mother Dorothy Bennett when Rom got engaged to Tom. It’s simple, economical, and deeply traditional — the sort of pudding that relies on time and patience rather than embellishment.It was decades before I realised it didn't actually have plums in it. It is a recipe born out of food scarcity caused by two world wars.
Equipment
- 1.2–1.5 litre pudding basin (roughly 16–18 cm in diameter and 10–12 cm deep.) This size gives enough room for the pudding to expand slightly during steaming without risking overflow, while still producing a nicely tall, sliceable pudding.
- Baking paper
- Aluminium foil
Ingredients
- 115 g suet
- 375 ml milk
- 115 g sugar
- 115 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 115 g plain flour
- 115 g currants
- 115 g sultanas
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Brandy for maturing and flambéing (optional but traditional and highly recommended)
Instructions
- Place the sugar and breadcrumbs into a large heatproof pudding basin and mix together.115 g sugar, 115 g fresh breadcrumbs
- In a saucepan, gently boil the suet with 250 ml of the milk for a few minutes, until the suet has melted.115 g suet, 375 ml milk
- Pour the hot suet and milk mixture over the sugar and breadcrumbs. Stir well and set aside to cool slightly.
- When the mixture is nearly cold, stir in the flour, currants, and sultanas.115 g plain flour, 115 g currants, 115 g sultanas
- Dissolve the baking soda in the remaining 125 ml warm milk, then mix thoroughly into the pudding batter.375 ml milk, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Cover the basin securely with baking paper and foil, tie firmly, and either boil or steam for 3 hours, topping up the water as needed.
- Once cooked, allow the pudding to cool completely. Wrap well and store in a cool place. Feed with brandy from time to time if you wish.
- To serve, reheat by steaming, then warm a small quantity of brandy, pour it over the pudding, and carefully flambé at the table — with due respect to ceiling height and nearby curtains.
- Serve with hot custard.
Notes
Do not overfill: fill the basin to about ⅔–¾ full to allow for expansion.
Cover securely: use a double layer of baking paper and foil, pleated in the centre, and tie firmly with string.
Steam rather than boil if possible — it’s gentler and reduces the risk of water seeping in.
Cover securely: use a double layer of baking paper and foil, pleated in the centre, and tie firmly with string.
Steam rather than boil if possible — it’s gentler and reduces the risk of water seeping in.