Marilla's Plum Pudding

Prep time: 40 minutes Total time: 4 hours (includes cooling) I Yield: 6-8 servings

1⁄2 cup butter, plus more for greasing
1⁄2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1⁄2 cup raisins
1⁄2 cup currants
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
1⁄2 cup fresh breadcrumb
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 cup walnuts, chopped
1⁄2 cup milk
1 large egg
1⁄4 cup molasses
boiling water

Directions

Grease the inside of a pudding mold or bowl and sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar. Shake until the inside surface is covered with sugar. Set aside.
Chop the raisins and currants and sprinkle with a little extra flour and set aside.
Measure flour, sugar, bread crumbs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
With the pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like course bread crumbs.
Add the chopped raisins, currants and walnuts to the flour mixture. Mix.
Pour 1/2 cup milk into the small saucepan and cook over low heat. When tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pot, the milk is ready. Remove from heat.
Break the egg into a small bowl. Then add it to the fruit and flour mixture. Add the hot milk and molasses. Mix everything well with spoon.
Spoon the mixture into the pudding mold or bowl. Make a cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil and butter the side of the foil that will lie against the pudding. Tie string around the foil cover to keep it tight.
Set the canning rack in the large pot. Set the covered pudding on top. Carefully pour some boiling water down the side of the large pot until it comes half way up the pudding mold. Set the large pot over high heat until the water boils. Turn the heat down to medium low and put the lid on. (If needed, add more water during cooking).
Steam for 3 hours. Insert a clean toothpick into the centre of the pudding (through the foil). If it comes out clean, the pudding is done. If pudding clings to the toothpick, check again in 15 minutes.
When the pudding is done, use oven mitts to remove it from the large pot. Remove the foil and let the pudding stand for 10 minutes. Turn the pudding upside-down onto a warm platter.
To freeze, bring to room temperature. Wrap pudding in plastic wrap and seal tightly into freezer bag. To serve, thaw and reheat the pudding.
Serve with caramel pudding sauce.

Caramel Pudding Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine brown sugar, flour and salt in a small sauce and cook over low heat.
Slowly add in 1 cup of boiling water.
Stir together for about 5 minutes until the sauce should be thick and creamy.
When the sauce is thick, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and butter until everything is combined.
Serve warm over plum pudding. Add a scoop of French vanilla ice cream for extra richness.

Source: The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook, Kate MacDonald and L.M. Montgomery