This recipe comes my husband’s great-great grandmother. I adapted this recipe to modern standards. I have not yet made the recipe.
Grease two 2-pound coffee cans, two 2-quart pudding molds, or two 2-quart oven-proof deep dishes.
If you do not have a steamed pudding mold, you can use a small bowl, but a pudding mold is inexpensive and pretty easy to find at a kitchen store or online.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk, eggs, molasses, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour; add raisins, dates, nuts, candied orange or lemon citron, apples, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Fill each greased pan 1/2 full of batter. Cover tops of pans with lids or 2 layers of aluminum foil. In a large pot or roaster, place molds on trivets or a rack and add boiling water 2/3 up the side of the mold; bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot or roaster, and boil gently 4 to 4 1/2 hours (add more boiling water as necessary) or until fork comes out clean when put into center of pudding.
Be sure to let the pudding cool to room temperature in the mold before removing it. Wrap the cooled pudding tightly in plastic wrap and store in a sealed plastic bag. The pudding will keep for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator or may be frozen for longer storage.
While the Plum Cakes are ripening you can unwrap them periodically and add more cognac or other spirits. Piercing the puddings with a fine skewer or needle makes this process easier.
To Serve: The pudding may be put back into its pudding mold and reheated for 1 to 2 hours (depending on size of Plum Pudding) in a hot water bath at the time of serving. However, the easier way today is to simply microwave the pudding for just a few minutes until it is heated. Unmold and serve hot with Nutmeg Sauce.
Yields 2 puddings.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add boiling water and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes until ingredients are well blended.
* 1/2 cup fruit juice and 1/2 cup brandy may be substituted for the milk if desired.
** Brown sugar may be substituted for the granulated sugar if desired.
Grandma Fisher's Plum Pudding Recipe: https://whatscookingamerica.net/cake/plumpuddingtips.htm