As promised last week, here are the pictures of my Chess Pie with Orange Curd and Mandarin Wedges. This is so rich that a 1/8th slice with curd is more than enough!
Leftover Dressing Rissole
I don't know why I never thought of this before! Smush together a large handful of leftover dressing and form it into a patty. Fry in just a smidge of EVOO to get a nice crust and heat things through. Delicious with turkey gravy! In the background are slices of Red Cooked Turkey Breast and Spiral Cut Ham.
Christmas Pudding
British Christmas Pudding is a family tradition hereabouts. This year three generations got together in Sally's kitchen and created the annual masterpiece. I was relegated to the position of photographer.
Mum, Sally and daughter Holly
If you have to have one modern British cookery book, let it be Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course, with it's detailed recipes and lavish photography. Therein you will find the recipe which has been tweaked and modified by, now, three generations of pudding makers. The ingredients list is long, but the assembly is straightforward -- each item in its turn, mashed and stirred together.
8 oz shredded Suet -- the hardest ingredient to find in today's world. You can sub- butter but it's not the same
4 oz Self Rising Flour
8 oz white Breadcrumbs. Panko is perfect.
1/2 tsp fresh grated Nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered Cinnamon
1 lb Light Brown Sugar
8 oz Sultanas or Golden Raisins
8 oz regular Raisins
20 oz Xante Currants
2 oz candied Citron
2 oz blanched Almonds
1 Apple, cored and finely chopped
Zest of 1 Lemon and 1 Orange
4 Eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp Rum
10 oz Guiness (or other label) Stout
Mix everything together, one ingredient at a time, until you get to the eggs.
In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs and add to them the rum and stout.
Pour the liquid over the assembled dry ingredients, and start the hard part -- mash-mixing everything together very, very, very well.
Mum's Puggle -- Zara -- supervised the whole operation and made sure no crumbs hit the floor!
You'll know you're about right on consistency when you can spoon up the mixture and it falls from the spoon as a ball when you tap the loaded spoon on the side of the bowl.
Cover the mixture with a cloth, and leave it set overnight. The next day, grease two or more pudding basins -- steel bowls -- and pack the mixture into them all the way to the top. Cover each basin with a disk of parchment paper, then tie a layer of aluminum foil around each basin.
Place the basins in wide pots or pans, and add 2+ inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Put on a lid to help prevent evaporation.
Simmer the puddings for 8 hours! Yes Eight Hours! Really!! Add water as necessary.
When done, remove the foil and paper, and replace with new paper and foil. Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks, to allow the flavors to develop.
Ready to eat on Boxing Day!
Chocolate-Raspberry Mascarpone Pudding
This recipe, that I served for Thanksgiving, is a LOT easier than making Christmas Pudding!! We got this recipe from a flyer from our local megamart. Not cheap (mascarpone was $4.69) but it certainly is tasty.
4 cups Water
4 Egg Yolks (do something else with the whites)
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Orange extract (recipe called for vanilla, but I like orange better here)
6 Tbsp Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa tm or similar
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 can Duncan Hines Simply Raspberry Pie Filling tm
Whisk together the mascarpone, orange extract, cocoa and salt, until smooth.
Make a double boiler with a pot, the water, and a bowl set on top the open pot. Put the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl and whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and runs in ribbons when you lift the whisk.
Whisk in the cheese/cocoa mixture until well combined. Remove bowl from hot water and put plastic wrap on top the bowl to prevent a skin from forming. With a mixer (or by hand if you want a workout!) whip the heavy cream until you get stiff peaks.
Fold half the whipped cream into the chocolate mix. Then spoon it into serving dishes. Add a layer of the raspberry filling and top with the remaining whipped cream.
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