Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Dec 23, 2012 by lovelypantry

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Any major holiday has me homesick. Not even so much missing Jamaica, but missing my family. I haven’t spent a Christmas in Jamaica in a decade. I’ll have to work on fixing that in years to come. Aside from the family gatherings, and holiday parties, I always look forward to the food. YES! The food!! The theme for today’s #SundaySupper is Holidays, Heritage and Traditions. Our wonderful host is Bea from Galactopdx. You’ll love the wonderful recipes being shared today!

Christmas time has always been a special time for families. Children get excited about gifts and everyone gets into the holiday spirit of giving. People also get into the kitchen and throw down! Yes, Christmas food is wonderfully made and is often done with much preparation. On Christmas Day, after church, we usually enjoy a big brunch – my Mom makes the BEST Ackee & Saltfish and Fried Dumplings ever. One of these days I’m going to try my hand at making fried Dumplings. Fried Breadfruit is another favourite thing to add to the list. Dinner is everything from Roast Beef, Ham, Roast Chicken, Smoked Chicken, Potato Salad, Moms special sweet and sour pork (this was only made at Christmas because Dad doesn’t eat pork. This was our time to experience it since we were almost pork-free {Bacon stays!}). Gungo Rice and Peas (Rice & Peas using Gungo Peas instead of Red Kidney Beans) is a must! Then there’s Rum Punch and Sorrel to wash it all down! To end the feast, look out for desserts like Sweet Potato Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cornmeal Pudding, and of course…Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake.

As I was mixing the batter, I had fond memories of my Dad’s baking. This was just like home. The wonderful aroma…me watching my father cut up the prunes, soaking all the fruits. And then baking day came. Our house smelled wonderful!

It smelled like Christmas

Print Jamaican Christmas Pudding Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes Ingredients Mixed Fruits:

3 1/2 Cups Raisins

1 1/2 Cups Currants

2 1/2 Cups Prunes

1 Cup White Rum

4 Cups Port Wine - I used Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine (The wine of choice for this pudding)

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2 Sticks Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tbsp Browning

2 Tsp Vanilla

1 Tsp Almond Extract

2 Tsp Lime Juice

1 Tsp Orange Rind

6 Eggs

4 Cups Mixed Fruits (Raisins, Currants & Prunes)

6 oz Bread Crumbs

6 oz Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Mixed Spice

1 Cup White Rum - I used Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Instructions Cut prunes into small pieces In a glass jar (avoid using plastic) add prunes, raisins and currants. Add rum and port wine. Stir to ensure that the fruits are covered. Cover (tight lid, completely sealed) and allow to soak for a few days (I did 4 days, stirring once daily, adding more red label wine just to ensure fruits are covered). Place one rack in the centre of the oven, and another rack on the lower level. Preheat oven to 350F Prepare a 9 inch spring form pan by lining the bottom with 2 layers of parchment paper and greasing the inside with butter. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine (with a fork or whisk) breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder salt and mixed spice. Set aside In batches, blend the soaked fruits for a few minutes and pour in a large measuring jug until you have 4 cups or blended fruit In a mixing bowl using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy Mix in browning, vanilla and almond extracts, lime juice and orange rind Add eggs, one at a time and beat in well. Add blended fruits. Mix to combine. Add flour/breadcrumb mixture alternately with rum and red label wine Pour into prepared baking pan until 3/4 full Place a pot with boiling water on the centre of the lower oven rack Place cake pan on a foil lined baking tray and then put it on the centre rack in the oven Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Do a toothpick test in the centre of the cake to ensure the pudding is set. Allow to cool overnight To keep moist, sprinkle with additional rum or red label wine 3.1 http://lovelypantry.com/2012/12/jamaican-christmas-pudding-for-sundaysupper/ 3.1.09

The original recipe called for additional items like dates, cherries, mixed peel and nuts. As a youngster, I remember not liking these things in christmas cake. I really do have a thing for texture. I can totally see why my kids are fussy with their food. It’s all my fault and I’m totally okay with that ~ sometimes. Since I was essentially making this to my liking, I just used the fruits I prefer. I bought a special jar just for soaking my fruits. Did you know that some people have their fruits soaking for months in advance in preparation for Christmas baking? We don’t play around when it comes to Christmas Cakes and Puddings.

Dad was the baker in the household so he always had Christmas cake to offer whenever friends stopped by or to give away. He doesn’t bake as much anymore, but was able to give me a few tips to help me along. Dad reminded me that blending the fruits before adding to the batter, gave the pudding a much nicer consistency. So that is exactly what I did. There will still be fruits left over to make another cake

For the pan, I knew that I had to make the seal tight. I lined a baking tray with foil first. I then placed the bottom of the spring form pan on the baking sheet, then covered it with 2 layers of parchment paper. I then sealed the ring to the base so that the parchment was lining the pan and also allowed for it to be tight-fitting at the base so the batter couldn’t leak out. I hope I explained that properly. Here’s what I did!

Okay – So the recipe said to use a 9-inch pan. I wasn’t sure how much the pudding was going to rise and I didn’t want it to overflow. So I put 3/4 of the batter into the 9 inch spring form pan and the remainder in 9-inch square pan. Worked out perfectly. I baked the smaller cake for 2 hours. The next time I make this pudding, I will use a 10-inch pan instead. The pudding itself does rise, but as it cools it reduces. I wasn’t able to take a photo of it when it was almost at the top. I’ll know what to expect next time.

This was my first time steaming a pudding. This is essentially the difference between a pudding and a cake. The pudding has the boiling water directly underneath the batter in the oven, whereas this is omitted when baking the cake. Now I will definitely have to bake the cake and document the difference in texture and density.

The cake was still warm when I took the photos, but when the pudding was cooled, I put it back in the cake pan and added some rum. This will change the texture on the top just a little. Christmas cake/pudding tastes better after a few days, so let the rum work its magic.

This is certainly a slice of Jamaican perfection. It was so good ~ just like this.

But this is a Christmas Pudding.

We have to have both bells AND whistles. So I added an optional garnish for this awesome pudding. You have to sit down though, to eat it with the special treat.

It’s so good, it will make your knees tremble.

Enid’s Christmas Pudding Recipe had an optional sauce to add to this already delicious treat. It’s very simple to make, and very easy to enjoy. I made one very slight change. (Lyn, you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you??) I don’t like too much nutmeg. So I used allspice instead.

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Hot Wine Sauce

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup Red Label Wine

1/2 Tsp Allspice

In a saucepan, add wine and sugar over a low heat. Stir to combine. Add allspice and butter. Stir until fully combined, and pour over the cake – or individual slices.

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I swear, this pudding alone is like 40 minutes on the treadmill. But ’tis the season to be jolly… so keep the slices modest and don’t sit still for too long this holiday season! I hope you enjoyed my post today.

From my family to yours, Have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season! I will be back after Christmas so take care of you!

Here are the wonderful recipes being shared by the #SundaySupper Family!

Breakfast

– Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian

– Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

– Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake

– Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks

– Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food

– Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes}by Kimchi Mom

– Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.

– Roasted Chestnuts by Curious Cuisiniere

Sides

– Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} byGalactopdx

– Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious

– Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days

– Lightened up Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes by Real Nutrition

– Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina

Main Dishes

– Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

– Christmas Eve Pizza & Martinis by The Webicurian

– Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes

– West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box

– Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale chips

– Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie

– Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?

– Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by The Family Foodie

– Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked

– New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker

– Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less

– Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic

– Red Chile Pork Tamales by Home Cooking Memories

Desserts

– Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey

– Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts

– Crescent Cookies by Cookistry

– Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

– Gluten Free Cookies for Santa by The Cooking Underwriter

– Pfeffernusse by The Foodie Army Wife

– Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine

– Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village

– Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes

– Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends

– Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry

– White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne

– Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious

– Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways

– Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Drinks

– Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

– Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped Cream by Mama Mommy Mom

– Mint Chocolate Cocoa by Mama’s Blissful Bites