The Best Date Pudding Recipe for Christmas

Make A Modernized Old Recipe That is Easy and Inexpensive

Nov 16, 2009 Deborah Harding

Plum pudding can be very expensive and extremely hard to make. There is a way to make something similar that is much easier and less expensive to make.

Not too many people actually make plum pudding or Christmas Pudding for dessert on Christmas day anymore. It used to be a tradition in the British Isles and poorer families would go weeks saving money in order to purchase the ingredients to make the pudding. These days a good Christmas pudding will cost you a bit of money too so if you would like to resurrect the old tradition on a budget make Date Pudding instead. It doesn’t cost as much to make and it isn’t as time intensive either.

This type of pudding isn’t the dairy dessert most Americans think about that was made famous by Bill Cosby and Jell-O. It is a cake like dessert that has no frosting but does have a deliciously sticky sauce poured over it. It is very rich and just a small piece will do.

Christmas puddings need to be steamed in water in a mold for hours upon hours. Date pudding can be put into a cake pan and it baked like a cake in the oven for just a little while.

Old Fashion Date Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dates, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch square pan well with butter and set aside.
3. In a large bowl place the dates, butter, and baking soda.
4. Add the boiling water and stir until the butter melts.
5. Add sugar and mix well by hand.
6. Add the beaten egg and mix well.
7. Stir in the flour and nuts and make sure all is well incorporated.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Cut in squares and serve warm with a hard sauce and whipped cream.

There are several different kinds of hard sauce to serve on your date pudding. There is the White sauce, rum flavored sauce, spicy sherry sauce, and a caramel sauce that is used in Australia. All are really good and will top off Christmas dinner with style.

White Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup cold water
• dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan combine the sugar, water and salt and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Wait until the combination starts to bubble and reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the stove and add the butter and vanilla.
4. Serve immediately over warm pudding

Rum Flavored Hard Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon cream (you can use half and half)
• Dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons rum extract

1. Whip until light and fluffy in a mixing bowl, place in a covered bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Place a dollop on the date pudding while it is still warm.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons sherry (the sweeter the better or use orange juice)
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (grated works the best)
• Dash of salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger

Directions:

• In a mixer bowl blend everything until smooth and fluffy.
• Cover and place in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Place a dollop on date pudding while it is still warm.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• ½ cup cream
• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a saucepan melt the butter in the cream.
2. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until bubbly and thick.
3. Pour over warm date pudding.

Try this date pudding along with any of the sauces for a sweet treat. It is good after Christmas Dinner or save it for New Years.

HOL101

The copyright of the article The Best Date Pudding Recipe for Christmas in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Deborah Harding. Permission to republish The Best Date Pudding Recipe for Christmas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Date Pudding