Fields Of Heather

"Figgy" Fig Pudding Recipes

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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https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

From the front page of the Miltonian, January 1899

Squeeze My Cheeks Vintage Plastic Canvas Christmas Ornaments

"Squeeze My Cheeks & I'll Give You A Kiss"

Reads the tags on these homemade ornaments popular in the 1980's.

The ornaments hold a Hersheys Kiss inside.

Here's where to find patterns to make them today:

Make Yourself (Or Your Grandchildren)

Into Movable Elf Ornaments

A Print Then Cut Project With Cricut (Free Project)

Quick Links:

Design Space Project - the Elf Image is no longer free, you will need to purchase it from cricut to make this project. #M1E36ED
Melody Lane YouTube Tutorial showing how to add the string (I did not use string)
I used Plain White Card Stock
I used Red & Green Button Brads (I got them at Michaels)
Tips For Solving Common Print Then Cut Problems

This is what the project looks like in Design Space.

The white image in the middle of the first row is unused in my version, I am not really sure what it is for - but my best guess is if you would prefer to cut a photograph to glue fast, or have a child draw a face rather than use a photograph, that piece would work as the face.

For my version of this, I did not need two holes side by side on the leg and arm pieces, but I put two holes there, in case you want to make them with the string like Melody Lane did. I think our grand-kids would just break them faster if they had a string, I am happy just to have the arms and legs move.

This is the image that is used for these. This project was free in 2019, and is still free if you pay the monthly rental fee for Cricut Access. For me personally, I always find it better to purchase one image as need from cricut, rather than pay for access. When you purchase the image, you can use it as long as you can use Design Space. When you pay a monthly fee for cricut access, you are merely renting the images, and once you stop paying the monthly fee, you stop having free access to those images.

Quick Reference:

I sized this to fit on one sheet of paper, the finished elf is approximately 8.5 inches tall
Attach the black dots. Attach - not flatten. For all but the piece on the left, this is already done. If you flatten the dots to the body, they will not cut, and you will need to use a hole punch.
Once you add the face, select the hat, coat, and face, and flatten! Then attach the dots.

Crop your photo as much as possible before uploading it to design space. Then use the eraser tool to crop out the face. Do not worry too much about it being a little jagged, the imperfections will fade out, and many will be hidden completely by the hat and the coat. If you need help learning how to use the eraser tool when uploading to Design Space, this may help: https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-convert-simple-free-clipart-to.html

Move your face around and resize until you like the way it looks.

For this project, it's much easier to select in the layers panel on the right. Click on each item, while holding the shift key down. I group my 3 items to start. Then move them over the image on the left, making sure the hat and coat will line up when you put them together. once you are sure it's the right size, select your 3 items - hat, coat, face, and flatten.

Send your new flattened image to the back, and move your dots over. In the photo above, the dots are not lined up. You want to line them up so it looks like there is only one set of dots. Then over in that layers panel, select the dots, and the image with your face. Once selected, attach. Then drag the image to the side once again.

Click Make it, and send to your printer.

Place the printed page on a mat.

Use the blue one if you have it, it's meant for paper. I am using a green one here that is not too sticky - it's been used a lot. You can wash your mats with soap and water and the stickiness will come back - but this one hasn't been washed recently, and has been used pretty hard, so it is not TOO sticky.

Here's one I cut on the blue mat. :-)

I love the Cricut Spatula tools for removing small pieces of paper from the mat.

Put the arms and legs together first. Then layer the pieces all together. The hole at the top is for a ribbon, to hang them.

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An Index Of Tips, Tutorials & Free SVGS For Making Christmas Ornaments

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/10/making-christmas-ornaments-index-of.html

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For More Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, and Free SVGS -

https://www.facebook.com/pg/fieldsofheathercrafts/posts/

Making 3d Paper Christmas Ornaments With Cricut - Free SVGS

I've separated this post into three parts - Free SVGS for making 3D Paper Christmas Ornaments, Free Templates that you can either convert to svg with a free converter or simple clean up (or just cut by hand!) and lastly, SVGS & Templates that are not free.

If you make any of these, come on over to the Cricut Tips, Tutorials & Free SVGS facebook group to show us what you made! (And share links to your tutorials and free svgs there too!)

A quick Christmas Decoration - Vinyl inside a lampshade

I'm going to try to remember to come back and take better photos at night, when there is not so much light pouring in the windows here. :-)

Free Santa Sack SVGS at the bottom of this post.

I used a Santa Sack SVG & htv, ironing it onto a craft canvas.

Then I cut slits in the canvas with an exacto knife to run the ribbons through.

Cards slip in the sides, and are clipped (paperclips work great) or taped to the ribbons.

For more tips, tricks, and projects using htv:

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2024/06/using-htv-with-cricut.html

This is the file I used for my card holder. It's a silhouette file, and the download it under an ad, click on the "Santa Sack Cut File" text, which is located right above the words "Note: This cut file is for personal use only". Then you will need to request access to view the google drive file...

https://www.fynesdesigns.com/personalized-santa-sack-silhouette-cut-file/

This one is a studio file [for silhouette machines]. To convert it to SVG, use the free online converter here: http://www.ideas-r-us-software.uk/FileConverters/SilhouetteStudioConverter.aspx

I made this back in 2019, so I am not 100% certain the file will still be available for download. I've included some additional FREE Santa Sack SVG options below.

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Materials For Santa Sacks
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XL Cotton Laundry Bags

See a list of some of my favorite Htv brands. The only brand I NEVER buy is [the very overpriced] Cricut brand. I tend to prefer Caregy, HTVront & Transwonder - all of which have performed great for me over the years.

Free PDF Pattern To Sew Your Own Santa Sack

There are a LOT of options for XL Cotton Laundry bags on Amazon. I found two packs for $10, making them $5 each - I don't yet know what they cost in local stores.

I'm thinking it might be less expensive to buy the bags with premade designs at Hobby Lobby, and just add names? But again, I haven't actually checked prices yet.

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FREE SVGS FOR SANTA SACKS