RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Lita Lotzkar Pudding: Hanukkah Sweet Ale - pareve
This tender, steamed English pudding reminds me of a fruit decadence or a homemade plum pudding. In America, we would call this a steamed cake, very dense and laced with ale and brandy. This type of dessert was popular in the days before refrigeration and refined sugar, when sweetness came from preserved foods such as dried fruits and molasses. Even so, I couldn't resist adding just a little brown sugar. 1/2 cup hazelnuts (filberts) 1/2 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup golden raisins 1 cup chopped dried peaches 1 cup chopped dried pears 1 cup chopped dried pitted dates Finely grated zest of 1 orange Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 3/4 cup ale 1 cup sifted flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 3 lg. eggs 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses 3 Tbsp. brandy 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast hazelnuts until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Place in clean tea towel and rub vigorously to remove skins. Place in food processor and finely chop. Set aside. 2.Meanwhile, combine dried fruits, orange and lemon zests, and ale in large saucepan. Bring to simmer over high heat, cover, and let stand 20 minutes. 3.Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and breadcrumbs and set aside. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs, beating one at a time, until well incorporated. Beat in molasses, flour mixture, dried fruit mixture and hazelnuts. Liberally grease two 1-quart molds or metal bowls and divide batter between them. Cover entire bowls with double thickness of foil. 4.Set bowls on racks in pans and fill pans with boiling water to come halfway up sides of puddings. Cover and place in oven. Keep water simmering, adding additional water as needed. Steam 4 hours. 5.Cool puddings on rack, still covered. Uncover and spoon brandy over. Re-cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve, steam again in same manner 1 hour or until hot. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form and serve with pudding. Serves 12. Archivist's Note: Though presented as a Hannukah dish, the combination of ingredients also makes this appropriate for Tu b'Shevat. Mauny's Kitchen Table
