An old-fashioned steamed pudding may not be your traditional Thanksgiving Day dessert, but it is a tradition on our Thanksgiving table. You will need a pudding mold and persimmons, a beautiful orange fruit that looks like an apple. The persimmons will need to be quite soft, almost overripe to the touch. Persimmons taste like a cross between a peach and an apricot, but they are a little tart. The pudding should be served slightly warm, which makes the hard sauce — one of the best tastes — melt.
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pudding mold
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 cup persimmon pulp (from 2 to 3 ripe persimmons, peeled and seeded)
- 3 teaspoons brandy
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons baking soda mixed with 2 teaspoons warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup golden raisins
For the hard sauce:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon brandy
Directions
To make the pudding, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the persimmon pulp, brandy, eggs, and baking soda mixture. Stir in the vanilla, spices, walnuts, and raisins and mix on low until the butter comes together, about 5 minutes.
Butter the top and bottom of a 2-quart pudding mold with a lid. Spoon in the mixture. Put the buttered lid on tightly and lock into place. Put the mold in a bigger pot filled with water to come halfway up the side of the mold; cover the pot. It is necessary to have a well-buttered mold and enough water for ample steam for this pudding to come out right. Bring the water to a simmer and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Make sure the water doesn't evaporate; add more hot water if it does. The pudding should be checked with a cake tester. When the tester comes out clean, the pudding is done. Take the mold out of the water and unmold when cool, 1 to 2 hours.
While the pudding is steaming, prepare the hard sauce. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat in the brandy. Chille at least 1 hour. Serve with the warm pudding.
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By mlisa26
on November 10, 2011
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Excellent! I've never steamed a pudding before so I was nervous about this, but OH MY this is delicious! I used Stevia instead of sugar in the pudding and my husband and kids LOVED it! The hard sauce was a little sweet for out taste (I used conf. sugar for that, so we will eat it with only whip cream on top. BUT yes, this is excellent!!!
By teresapc_12382978
Ontario, 43
on November 25, 2009
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In response to the previous reviewer, you can actually pull this off with no pudding mold. Use a medium sized metal mixing bowl, well buttered, and seal a sheet of buttered tin foil over the top. The easiest way I have found to extract persimmon pulp is just to give the fruit a good squeeze and let the contents ooze into a blender. If it doesn't ooze, it's not ripe enough!
By blackmustang196...
vallejo, CA
on November 22, 2009
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Could I use Gran Marnier or Amaretto instead of Brandy??????? Thanks
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