Our Family's Plum Pudding

Directions

Combine the dried fruits and peels in a large bowl and sprinkle with cognac.

Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (or longer - in which case you may want to add more cognac).

To the fruits in the large bowl, add nuts and suet.

Resift flour with the baking soda, salt and spices; then sift over the fruit mixture while tossing and mixing with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

Stir in jam and brown sugar.

Prepare the bread crumbs (use the food processor, removing crusts first if they are crusty and hard).

Sprinkle bread crumbs into the sherry, mixing with a fork.

Add to the fruit mixture.

Add the beaten egg yolks; mix thoroughly.

Last, fold in beaten egg whites.

Prepare two pudding molds.

This recipe makes enough for one 2-quart mold, and the remainder can be steamed in a coffee can - a 26-ounce can makes a round pudding about 3 inch tall.

Grease molds with butter and then sprinkle them with sugar or dust with flour.

Arrange candied cherries in molds, if desired (cherries should be dusted with flour).

Fill 2-quart mold no more than ⅔ full with batter.

Cover pudding mold with its lid, fasten with clamps or tie on securely.

For the coffee can, cover with its plastic lid, tie it on and wrap all with aluminum foil.

For a bowl without a lid, cover the top with layered waxed paper tied down securely, then do the same with aluminum foil.