CHARLES TILBURY'S 19TH CENTURY CHRISTMAS PUDDING
As served at the
Royal Hotel, Aldershot
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Courtesy of a descendant:
"The xmas pud - my aunt makes it every year - I used to make it."
1 1/4 lbs. suet chopped fine
1 1/2 lbs stoned raisins
1 lb. sultanas
3/4 lb. currants
1 lb. demera sugar
1 1b. mixed peel
1 1/2 lbs. flour (self-raising)
2 teaspoons of essence of almonds
1 tablespoon of mixed spice
1 nutmeg grated fine
juice of 1 lemon also chopped peel* fine
1/4 lb. ground almonds
pinch of salt
[* Make sure there is no chemical conserving product on the peel, or clean off.]
If necessary wash the dried fruit before using, dry in a warm place, then flour lightly.
Stir in the salt, spice, nutmeg and ground almonds to the rest of the flour, then add the suet, sugar, dried fruit, lemon peel, and mix lightly.
Add the lemon juice and essence of almonds - combine all with cooking sherry and a little water to proper consistancy - not too slack.
Mix up well with a wooden spoon and boil in well-greased basins - leave some space for the pudding to rise in the basin. (I put an old saucer on top before tying down [the cotton pudding-cloth over the basin].)
The more hours the pudding is boiled, the better.
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Charles Tilbury of Southampton and of the Royal Hotel, Aldershot
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