A recent internet meme about the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" sent me on a search for a true "figgy pudding" recipe. A search through the archives of old local newspapers did not disappoint. Unfortunately, we are a bit late to make it this year - this dish is traditionally made on the last Sunday of Advent, 5 weeks before Christmas, to be served on Christmas Day. Letting the pudding sit allows the alcohol to "draw out its flavors". Traditional figgy pudding would be left to cool in a cool dry place for 4-5 weeks! Then it is steamed again for an hour or two before being sat on the table, doused in brandy, and set on fire. Our local recipes mention none of this, but any good English recipe, and Agatha Christie's Poirot novel "The Adventure Of The Plum Pudding" give the traditional instructions.
(A bit of additional, untested, research shows that shortening can be used in place of beef suet, although it will "change the texture and taste", and a metal bundt pan can be used as a mold. True suet can be purchased at most butcher shops.)
The Sunbury American
10 Jan 1908
Now, I am well known for "winging it" in all recipes.. but even I need a bit more to work with than the instructions above. Thankfully, an 1881 edition of the same newspaper provides more details:
The Sunbury American
April 1 1881
The Lewisburg Journal
March 02 1887
This more modern version, from 1923, was part of an ad in the Allentown Morning Call
Williamsport Sun-Gazette 07 May 1915, Fri
This recipe from the White House Cookbook in 1911 was reprinted in many local papers
The Sun Gazette 1913
In the Indiana Gazette in Nov 1935
From Mary E. Dague "Sister Mary's Kitchen"
The Lewisburg Journal
November 9 1939
This award winning recipe in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 1940 won a cash prize of $1.
In the Danville Morning News in 1947, the recipe was very modernized - using a box of pudding. (Not as instant as ours today, in 1947 boxed puddings still needed cooked on a stove)
This 1983 recipe in a Scranton newspaper uses shortening in place of suet
A Modern, ButTraditional, Recipe For
Christmas/Plum/Figgy Pudding Recipe
Cooking time: 8 hours
Ideal aging time: 4-5 weeks
Ingredients
9 oz. brown sugar
9 oz. suet (raw beef or mutton fat)
14 oz. golden raisins
14 oz. raisins
9 oz. currants
5 oz. chopped candied orange peel
5 oz. plain flour
5 oz. white or brown breadcrumbs
Grated zest of one lemon
5 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. mixed spice
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/4 pint [1/2 cup] brandy
Directions
Place all dry ingredients into large bowl and mix well.
Stir in the eggs and brandy.
Grease a 2-liter/4-pint pudding basin, then pour in the mixture. [Editor's note: If you don't have a pudding basin, also known as a steam bowl, a heat-proof metal or pyrex mixing bowl can stand in. Make sure it has a lip at the top, so your string will stay in place.]
Place a circle of baking parchment and a circle of foil over the top of the basin and tie securely with string.
Put the basin into a large steamer of boiling water and cover with a lid. [Editor's note: If you don't have a steamer, you can use a large pot. Place a trivet or a small inverted plate at the bottom to raise your pudding basin up from the bottom of the pot].
Boil for 5-6 hours. Top up the water as necessary so the pot doesn't boil dry.
Allow pudding to cool.
Refresh parchment and foil covers and re-tie.
Store in a cool, dry place for 4-5 weeks until Christmas Day (You can get away with preparing it on Christmas Eve, though.)
Steam pudding again for 1-2 hours immediately before serving.
Place on table, douse with brandy and set aflame!
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Fig Pudding Ads
In 1937 we could have just purchased it in a can for 15 cents
at "Weis Pure Food Stores"
Ad in the Nov. 1937 Williamsport Sun Gazette
In case you were wondering what a can of fig pudding looked like,
here's an ad from the 1940 Philadelphia Inquirer
A 1938 Ad in the Williamsport Sun Gazette
A figgy ancedote from the Sunbury American in 1909
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From the front page of the Miltonian, January 1899
