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Saturday, 17 December 2011

Christmas pudding

This week's Sepia Saturday theme is about extravagant food ornately presented. As an antidote to conspicuous consumption now the festive season is almost upon us, I've chosen to show a couple of recipe books published in wartime Britain when many everyday foods including sugar, butter, eggs and meat were strictly rationed.


Here's the recipe for Christmas pudding from Food Facts for the Kitchen Front. I can't say that it sounds particularly appetising!

War and Peace Christmas Pudding
Mix together 1 cupful of flour, 1 cupful of breadcrumbs, half a cupful of suet, half a cupful of mixed dried fruit, and, if you like, a teaspoonful of mixed sweet spice. Then add a cupful of grated raw potato, a cupful of grated carrot, and finally a level teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of hot water. Mix all together, turn into a well-greased pudding bowl. The bowl should be not more than two-thirds full. Boil or steam for at least 2 hours.

6 comments:

Bob Scotney said...

I was a yong boy during the war and don't remember a Christmas pudding at all until the early 1950s.
I wonder how many 'your' pudding served - many more, I suspect that the bigger one that two of us will share this year.

Postcardy said...

The carrot part sounds good, but otherwise that recipe sounds barely edible.

Little Nell said...

From what my Mum tells me they’d have saved up their rations to make special puddings and cakes. I don’t know how many families would have actually had a Christmas pudding then. We put carrot in cakes now and I suppose the carrot and potato would have added moisture. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Liz Stratton said...

Suet! I can't say would want to try that. I inherited a wonderful recipe for an eggless chocolate cake from that era - Wacky Cake. Still a family favorite.

Unknown said...

I remember WWII days and the only pudding we had was chocolate or lemon. That is very interesting post for sure.
QMM

21 Wits said...

Well you had me until I read suet! Although I'm sure it is really tasty! I think I'll surprise my family with Plum Pudding this year...it's so silly how many recipes there are out there for everything! I played around with cookies last night with the best ever recipes from different families for years....and well, I may not make them again...but once is great! happy holidays to you too!