Traditional Plum Pudding Recipes

Here's a lovely recipe for early Autumn. It's a slight variation on the well-known Summer Pudding, and is chock full of not only plums but apples and blackberries too.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb plums, halved and stoned
• 22.5g/8 oz blackberries with stalks removed
• 60ml/4 tbsp apple juice
• Sugar or honey to sweeten (You won't need too much as the fruit is nice and sweet)
• 8 slices of wholemeal bread with crusts removed
• A sprig of mint and blackberry to decorate

Directions:

1. Peel, core and slice the apples and put into saucepan.
2. Add plums, blackberries and apple juice.
3. Cover pan and cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes until soft.
4. Add sugar and honey if required
5. Take a 1.2litre/2pint/5 cup pudding basin and line it with 6-7 slices of bread. These should be cut to fit round the inside of the basin. A sort of semi-triangle shape works best. Place a round shape on the bottom. Press the bread together tightly against sides of basin.
6. Spoon the fruit into the basin and then pour in just enough juice to moisten. Save the rest of the juice.
7. Cover the fruit with the remaining bread.
8. Fit a plate on top so that it rests on the bread just below the rim.
9. Stand the basin in a larger bowl - this will catch any juices that escape.
10. Place a weight on the plate and chill over night.
11. Next day, turn the pudding out on to a plate and pour the reserved juice over any bit which has not absorbed the juice.
12. Decorate with the mint sprig and a blackberry

This is wonderful served with creme fraiche.

The days are definitely turning cooler and what to do with all those plums? Here's an old recipe that used to be left in the baker's oven all night, after the day's baking was finished.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 325/12 stale wholemeal or white bread, crusts removed
• 125g/4 oz raisins, or chopped dates
• 125g/4 oz currants
• 25g/1 oz mixed peel
• 50g/2 oz sugar
• 1 egg
• 125g/4 oz grated suet
• One quarter level teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Cut bread into cubes and soak them in water for ten minutes.
2. Squeeze out moisutre and mix with other ingredients
3. Put into a greased, deep oven-proof dish and cover with foil.
4. Cook in moderate oven, Gas 4, 350 degrees F, 180 degrees C, for 30 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to Gas 1, 275 degrees F, 140 degrees C, for two hours.
6. Then it can be left in the oven with the heat off if desired.
7. Reheat or eat cold.

This is a hot, comforting plum bread pudding recipe - make it in any quantity to suit your situation.

Ingredients

• Plums
• Butter or margarine
• Brown Sugar
• Slices of stale bread, wholewheat, brown or white

Directions:

1. Wash the plums, cut in half and remove stones
2. Grease a pie dish and sprinkle with sugar, on bottom and sides
3. Line the dish with pieces of the stale bread.
4. Place a layer of plums over the bread - the plums should be cut side up.
5. Sprinkle with sugar.
6. Cover with another layer of bread and a further layer of plums and sugar
7. Finish the top with slices of buttered bread - ensure the buttered side is uppermost.
8. Cover with greaseproof paper and bake in the middle of a moderate oven, Gas Mark 3 or 4, 325 degrees F, 160 degrees to 180 degrees C.
9. After 30 minutes remove the greaseproof paper.
10. Turn the pudding out onto a warm dish.

This is wonderfully comforting served with cream or custard.