Old English Plum Pudding

Personally I've never had Plum Pudding but you read and hear all about it during the Christmas season so I thought it might be fitting to start our holiday plans with some recipes of Old English Plum Pudding. This tidbit begins with a poem about said item.

THE PLUM PUDDING OF ENGLAND.
We've long sung the praise of old English roast beef,
The mighty Sir Loin, and the Baron his chief,
But beef without pudding, with turkey no chine,
That is not the way that we Englishmen dine.

Then here's "the plum pudding of England!"
Old English plum pudding for me!

Plum pudding's a mixture of all that is good,
No Frenchman to make it ere yet understood;
To plain roast and boiled he too vain is to stoop,
Roast beef he makes brick bats, and plum pudding
soup.

That's not the plum pudding of England!
The sort of plum pudding for me!

The commerce of England extends o'er the world,
"Where'er the winds whistle our sails are unfurled,
Then home come our ships with plums, sugar and spice,
With currants and citrons, and all that is nice
To make the plum pudding of England.
Old English plum pudding for me!

The corn growing fields of old England ne'er fail,
Our flour it is sweet and our eggs never stale,
Our suet is fresh, but the taste to enhance
We don't mind a dash of the Brandy from France
To make the plum puddings of England.
Old English plum pudding for me!

The man who plum pudding refuses to eat
I'd hold you a wager at heart is a cheat,
While he who well loves it deserves a good wife
For he feels himself young, and a boy all his life
While he eats the plum pudding of England.
Old English plum pudding for me!

May solid plum pudding then, year after year,
At Christmas ne'er fail us to make us good cheer;
Well boiled—plump and round—deck'd with holly—

I wish Merry Christmas to all, and for ever a dish
Of the jolly plum pudding of England!
Old English plum pudding—Hurrah!
1878 John Edwards Carpenter

Old English Christmas Plumb Puddings.
The Harrisburg Telegraph furnishes its readers with a recipe for the real "Old English Christmas Plumb Pudding." After having given this pudding a fair test, I am willing to endorse every word of it; and wish for the holiday to come oftener than once a year:
"To make what is called a pound pudding; take of raisins well stoned but not chopped, currants thoroughly washed, 1 lb. each; chop suet, 1 lb., very finely, and mix with them; add 1/4 lb. of flour or bread very finely crumbled; 3 ozs. of suger; 1 1/2 ozs. of grated lemon peel, a blade of mace,1/2 of a small nutmeg, 1 tea-spoon of ginger; 1/2 doz. of eggs, well beaten; work it well together, put it in a cloth, tie it firmly, allowing room to swell; put it into boiling water, and boil not less than two hours. It should not be suffered to stop boiling.
The cloth, when about to be used, should be dipped into boiling water, squeezed dry, and floured; and when the pudding is done, have a pan of cold water ready, and dip it in for a moment, as soon as It conies out of the pot, which prevents the pudding from sticking to the cloth. For a dip gravy for this or other puddings, see the'• Biscuit Pudding without fie-Baking,"or "Spreading Sauce for Pudding."
Source: Dr. Chase's Recipes ©1875

Plum Pudding.
(Family Recipes.)—(1.) Beat two eggs and a little salt well together, then put to them three-quarters of a pound of stoned rasins (or currants), the same quantity of minced suet, and of flour. Add as much skim milk as will make it very stiff. Boil the pudding full five hours, for on this depends its being so good. No wine, brandy, or sugar the least necessary.
(2.) Small Plum Pudding.—One pound of minced suet, one pound of stoned raisins, six ounces of flour, four ounces of sugar, five whole eggs well beaten. A little cinnamon if liked. Boil full five hours.

Plum Pudding.—Mince finely one pound of fresh suet, picked from every scrap of skin, half a pound of stoned raisins, five ounoes of flour and the same of breadcrumbs, five ounces of brown sugar, the peel of two Seville Oranges (lemons if you cannot possibly get Seville Oranges), and four eggs, leaving out two of the whites. Mix together with as much milk as will just make it too thick to pour, but not as stiff as a paste. Do not beat or knead the pudding, but mix it all thoroughly together. Tie it tight in a cloth, as tight as possible, and boil it for six hours precisely.

Some people boil Plum Pudding in a mould. If so, let the pudding made as above rest for six hours before it is put in. Line the mould with buttered paper, press the pudding in, put a buttered paper on the top, tie a thick pudding-cloth closely over it, and boil as above for exactly six hours.

Oronoeo Sauce fop Plum Pudding.—(Family Recipe.)— A quarter of a pound of butter, and rather more of finely powdered sugar, beat well together with a wooden spoon till quite light and white, then add, drop by drop, a tablespoonful of brandy, and work it again till thoroughly mixed—which is troublesome to do. Put it in a sauce-boat, and set on ice till wanted. (This sauce is now called Brandy Butter.)
Source: Mrs. Roundell's Practical Cookry Book ©1898

Plum Pudding—Two cups flour, 1 heaping cup of bread crumbs, 1 cup of molasses, 1 1/2 cups stoned raisins, Y2 cup citron (cut fine), 1 cup suet chopped fine, 1 cup sweet milk, 1 tablespoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cloves and cinnamon; steam two and a half hours. To be eaten with butter sauce.—Mrs. J. H. Porter, Atlanta.

Plum Pudding.—This pudding is best when prepared, all but eggs, the day before using. Three-fourths pound picked and finely-chopped suet, 3/4 pound of stoned raisins, 3/4 pound of currants, 1/4, pound of citron cut in small slices, 3/4 pound of powdered sugar, 3/4 pound of bread crumbs grated, 1 lemon, grated yellow rind and juice, 1 tablespoon of powdered mace and cinnamon mixed and 2 powdered nutmegs, 12 eggs beaten separately. Steep allspice in 1/2 pint of mixed wine and brandy over night closely covered. Beat wine and eggs together until thick and smooth, then add bread crumbs. Mix with the sugar, grated yellow rind and juice of lemon, then add gradually prepared ingredients, stirring hard. Butter pudding mold, fill with mixture and boil four hours. Sprinkle hot dish with powdered sugar. Turn out pudding; pour 1/2 pint warm rum and light when taking to the table. This is sufficient for twenty persons.—Mrs. Willie Conyers Cook, Inman Park.
Source Tested Recipe Cook Book ©1895