Polly's Adventure in 2020 Holiday Royal Plum Pudding

Holiday's new addition - A Royal Plum Pudding.  So, this year, I tried this Royal Plum Pudding dessert.  And it is explained, Plum Pudding doesn't have plum in it.  I was bit apprehensive about the taste turn out as I can see it is a bit similar to Fruit Cake, but steam for 6 hours!!??  But with COVID-19 copped up in the house, why not, why not try something different.  Just to see if the Royal Queen does make this every year, and checked out in several articles that it seem credible, so I did.  And is it a real treat.  I love it and my families love it.

So, here is my version because I didn't exactly have all the ingredients it called for, but here it is:

The two websites I visited for verification are:  

https://people.com/royals/get-the-royal-familys-special-pudding-recipe/

https://britishheritage.com/the-royal-family-s-official-christmas-pudding-recipe

 

Polly's Royal Plum Pudding Ingredients.  I used what I had in my pantry and refrigerator

80 g raisins - chopped
80 g white raisins instead of currants - chopped

75 g dried pitted home grown JuJube - chopped

40 g dried cranberries - chopped

80 g Marachino cherries - chopped - strained and quite air dried
185g soft butter instead of sultanas
1 Tbsp candied Orange Peel, 1 Tbsp Lemon Peel instead of 150g mixed peel

8 g of mixed spices such as 1tsp each of  Ground Cayenne, Ground Ceylon , Cinnamon, Ground Cardamom, Ground Cloves instead of 12g mixed spice

250 g Bread Crumb - I used Japanese PANKO

90 g Flour
2 whole Organic eggs
180 g Cane Sugar instead of demerara sugar
275 ml KIRIN Japanese beer
40 ml Meyers dark rum

40 ml Brandy

 

Instructions - I prepared Qty - 4 - 6 inch cake molds

Prepare a Large Canning Pot with Steam Basket turned upside down to give a lift so that enough water can be added to last several hours of steaming.  

*and mine lasted the entire 6 hours without adding water.

1. Combine all dry ingredients.
2. Stir them up.
3. Add the eggs and the liquid.
4. Stir again.
5. line the bottom of the cake mold with organic unbleached parchment paper
6. Press the cake mix into basins.
7. Cover the top with aluminum foil
8. Fill with water up to 3/4 of pudding basin height.
9. Steam 6 hours.

10. Once cooled, flip it out of the cake mold; place on top of aclean dry parchment paper, enclose in plastic bag and refrigerate.   

Gift them after cutting them into quarters and pre-sliced.   That is less intimidating to the recipients, and it will be quickly consumed with a joy!  because it is so delicious and they wished they had more, but truly enjoyed and appreciated and look forward to next year's!!

11. On Christmas Day, reheat sliced pudding in a steamer for 5 min.  

       *When steaming a whole pudding, it will take longer.
12. When the pudding is a whole - serve: with garnish or flambé and serve with brandy sauce and cream, if desired.

Drinking Fresh Coconut Juice and Making Coconut Cream

 Nothing can really bit the real taste of a fresh coconut juice.  I tried those canned coconut juice, and I gagged at the taste.  I don't know what they add to it, but it just not the same.  I just want to share how I open it up with the serrated knife and a hammer.  If the coconut is truly 'young', I know it can be opened without the hammer.  A quick slice with a machete is how the street vendor do it in Viet-Nam.  

Shave off as much husk off at the top with a serrate knife.

Place the coconut in a clean plastic bag.  If the hammer is to hard, the juice will leak out and it can be caught in the bag.

A good wack at the coconut shell.  *A young coconut does not really have a hard brown shell, it has a soft membrane like shell.

Place a glass on top of the cracked shell and revert the coconut to disperse the juice.

Widen the cracked shell and scoop out the coconut meat.

You can eat them or process it in NutriBullet.  As the coconut gets older, the meat is more thicker and tougher.

Place a small strainer in the cup over the cracked coconut shell before reverting it will help filter the husk, etc. or you can filter it after you transferred the juice into a g

Making coconut cream

Be sure to remove the NutriBullet's blade housing's washer/rubber seal and clean underneath before storing after each use.