I made an authentic Plum Pudding this year, mainly for the sake of
nostalgia. I grew up with the tradition of this rich and beautiful bomb
of a cake. Although I could not find the suet that I had used in the
past, nor the dark brown sugar on the short notice I gave myself, I
supplemented lard, and the light-brown variety of sugar. I fondly
decorated the mold with glase' cherries and fruit, even some roasted
pecans ( purely on what would be the surface ), and steamed it a full 6
hours. Once done, I saturated it with a fine French brandy, then kept
the treatment going a week and a half until it was quite heavy and rich
in color and aroma. The evening of dinner party I poured a moat of
brandy around the pudding, turned down the lights and lit the pool so it
flamed long and dramatically. It was a joyous success with the guests;
for some a first-time occasion!

Just a Jeanie