Ingredients:
1 pint fine breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of strong, clear black coffee
6 egg-yolks
2 cups yellow sugar
1 cup creamed butter
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of clean currants
1 cup of shredded citron
1 cup of nut meats broken small
1 tumbler of sherry
1 tumbler of rum
1 wineglass of apricot brandy
1 teaspoonful of cinnamon
1 teaspoonful of cloves and allspice
1/2 cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin
a very tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika
6 egg-whites
1 cup of browned flour
Preparation:
- Toast a pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good brown without burning, pour on them half a cup of strong, clear black coffee, and let stand till soft.
- Beat six egg-yolks very light with two cups of yellow sugar and one of creamed butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix very smooth.
- Meantime, soak a cup of raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean currants, a cup of shredded citron, a cup of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler of sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy. Add the fruit when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, putting in any surplus liquors.
- Mix ingradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of cloves and allspice, half a cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika. Beat smooth, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately with a cup of browned flour. If too thick to stir handily thin with a little milk or boiling water.
- Pour into a clean pudding bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the pudding to swell, put in a deep kettle of boiling water, and boil for five hours, filling up the kettle as needed with boiling water so as not to check the cooking.
- Make several days beforehand, and boil an extra hour upon Christmas day. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce, either fruit or wine flavored.
