Traditional and easy to make plum duff pudding recipe ideal for a rich Christmas treat
This plum pudding recipe is a really simple recipe for a lighter, rich, tasty Christmas pudding. You prepare it the night before and steam it for 3 hours on a saucepan the next day. It does not suffer from standing so if the pudding course is delayed there's no problem. It is pure baking alchemy. You start with a pale sloppy mixture and you end up with a rich medium to dark brown spicy pudding which is lighter than the traditional Christmas pudding or clootie dumpling. It is also known as plum duff. We would like to thank reader Bill Gallacher of Renfrewshire for kindly sharing this plum duff recipe taken from his ma's old recipe jotter. She used cups as a measurement, which we've included, and have also included our gram measurements.
Ingredients2 cups or 240g plain flour
1 cup or 200g sugar
1 cup or 200g sultanas
1 cup or 200g raisins
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in a cup of cold water
1 tablespoon of butter melted in a cup or 240mls of boiling water
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How To MakeThe night before you intend to cook the pudding, mix all ingredients together.
Use a 7 inch or 17 cm heatproof bowl (Bill recommends using a Pyrex bowl) with a lip which will allow the cover to be tied in. Place a 3inch or 7 cm square of butter greaseproof paper in the bottom of the bowl. This helps with releasing the pudding when cooked.
Place the mixed ingredients into the bowl.
Cover the bowl with greaseproof paper and tie with string. The paper needs to be loose to allow the pudding to expand slightly. Bill puts two folds at right angles in the greaseproof paper. Tie the edge of the greaseproof paper tightly around the lip of the bowl and tie a string loop handle across the top to allow the bowl to be lifted into and out of the cooking pot.
Use a pot large enough to fully contain the bowl with enough space round the edge to top up the water when cooking. Put the bowl into the pot and pour in water about two thirds up the bowl. Leave sufficient room to ensure that the water does not spill into the pudding mix when boiling.
Bring the water to the boil and simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Check periodically and top up with boiling water as necessary.
After 3 to 4 hours use the string handle to lift the bowl out of the pot using a spoon or fork. Remove the greaseproof paper. Run a knife around the edge of the pudding. Place the serving plate on top and invert to allow the pudding to release on to the plate. This should happen easily but if there is a problem try a deeper cut with a knife round the edge of the pudding and or a little shaking.
Serve with custard or cream according to taste.
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FAQs
Plum duff, one of the fortifying puddings of Old England, is essentially the same in its beginnings as plum pudding, before it went up-market to become Christmas pudding—in other words a plain boiled suet pudding enlivened with a more or less generous addition of raisins or currants (duff represents a former northern ...
What's the difference between Christmas pudding and plum pudding? ›
Why is Christmas pudding also known as plum pudding? The interesting thing is, plum pudding does not contain any plum! This goes back to the Victorian practice of substituting dried plums with other dried fruits, such as raisins.
What is plum duff made of? ›
Butter a 1 litre/2 pint pudding basin. Mix the flour, currants, raisins, breadcrumbs, sugar, suet, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the plums and apple pieces. Add the orange zest and juice, the rum and the eggs and mix well.
Why is there 13 ingredients in a Christmas pudding? ›
Superstitions say that Christmas pudding must be prepared with 13 ingredients, which are said to represent Jesus and his twelve disciples. It is also said that the mixture should be stirred in turn from east to west, by each family member, to honour the disciples' journey.
What is the old name for Christmas pudding? ›
Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.
What do the French eat instead of Christmas pudding? ›
Christmas Dinner
Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten.
Why is plum pudding expensive? ›
Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet.
What is a fun fact about plum pudding? ›
Often referred to as 'plum pudding', the recipe for Christmas pud has in fact never called for plums at all. The word "plum" in fact refers to dried fruit of any variety; whether dates, prunes, sultanas or currants.
Can I use butter instead of suet in Christmas pudding? ›
My family recipe for Christmas pudding has melted butter instead of suet and it is flourless. It replaces all the flour with fine breadcrumbs.
What ethnicity is plum pudding? ›
People have been putting whatever ingredients they have on hand in a pot and boiling them since the dawn of mankind, but plum pudding, in a form that we might recognize today, was first born in medieval England, where it was known as pottage.
Plum Rain and Plum Duff are not the same scent. Plum Duff contains both cedarwood and tangerine oil as well as raisin infusion and benzoin resinoid. Plum Duff's scent is a gentle one with fruity and woody elements.
Is figgy pudding the same as Christmas pudding? ›
Figgy Pudding
“Now bring us some figgy pudding” is the well-known refrain of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas." So, here it is. This seasonal favorite is essentially the same as a Christmas pudding but with the sweet addition of – wait for it – figs.
Why do you put a penny in a Christmas pudding? ›
A silver sixpence was placed into the pudding mix and every member of the household gave the mix a stir. Whoever found the sixpence in their own piece of the pudding on Christmas Day would see it as a sign that they would enjoy wealth and good luck in the year to come.
What is hidden in Christmas pudding? ›
It was customary to hide a number of small trinkets in the mixture, a bit like the twelfth night cake. These charms often included a silver coin which signified wealth, and a ring to represent a future marriage. Woe betide the guest who stumbled across a thimble in their serving…
Why do Christians eat Christmas pudding? ›
Religious significance
It is believed that a Christmas pudding must contain thirteen ingredients. These ingredients each represent Jesus and each of his twelve disciples. Traditionally, brandy is poured over the Christmas pudding and set aflame before serving. The flames are believed to represent Christ's passion.
Does Duff mean pudding? ›
duff in British English
(dʌf ) noun. 1. a thick flour pudding, often flavoured with currants, citron, etc, and boiled in a cloth bag.
What do Americans call Christmas pudding? ›
Christmas pudding might seem a bit strange to Americans
Christmas pudding, also referred to as figgy pudding or plum pudding, is another long-time holiday tradition in the UK.
Is Christmas pudding cooked or plum pudding? ›
A mixture of sweet and savory ingredients, and not necessarily containing figs, it was bagged with flour and suet and cooked by steaming.
