This article is presented by MagicalButter. All photos courtesy of Chef Leather Storrs
Plum pudding, also known as Christmas pudding, is a festive dish served around the holidays with origins in medieval England. Despite its name, "plum pudding is neither plum nor pudding," explains Portland-based chef and Noble Rot co-owner Leather Storrs. In other words, Medieval England wasn't necessarily known for its haute cuisine. "Plum pudding is traditionally a heavily spiced, dense cake filled with dried fruit, candied citrus, beef fat, and booze," he says. (Fun fact: The pre-Victorian word "plums" referred to raisons).
The Medieval treat is generally cooked long before Christmas, then aged for anywhere from one month to a year. Apparently, the high concentration of alcohol in the recipe keeps the pudding from spoiling. Fret not, eventually the whole thing is set ablaze.
"Before it's served, the pudding is warmed, covered with more booze, lit on fire, then topped with a hunk of hard sauce, butter, powdered sugar and…more booze" continues Storrs. "It's a good show, but a better doorstop — which is too bad, because booze and fire are fun."
Fortunately, the talented chef Storrs whips up his own magical rendition of Christmas pudding, and it's infused with the wonders of cannabis. He was kind enough to share the recipe with MERRY JANE and he gets bonus points since his version only takes one hour to make, and it actually tastes delicious.
Fake Plum Pudding with "Way Too Hard" Sauce by Chef Leather Storrs
Fake Pudding Ingredients:
1 cup dried apricots, pitted
1 cup dried prunes, pitted
1 cup tart cherries, dried
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup water
2 cups brandy
4 tbsp. MagicalButter cannabis-infused brandy tincture
1/4 cup MagicalButter, cannabis-infused butter
3 sticks of butter, unsalted
1 ¼ cup flour
1¼ cup almond flour
1 ¼ cup egg whites
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. Clove
Pan spray
1 zest from one unwaxed orange (use a microplane)
1 zest from one unwaxed lemon (use a microplane)
Cooking spray
Too Hard Sauce Ingredients:
3 oz. butter, softened
1 oz. MagicalButter, cannabis-infused butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. brandy
Photo of Chef Leather Storrs
Fake Pudding Instructions:
Cut the apricots and prunes in quarters, so all of the fruit is about the same size. Put the fruit in a medium saucepan with one cup of water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir thoroughly. Pour off any water and add the brandy and the Magical Butter brandy tincture. Cover with a lid and let stand 30 minutes to an hour for maximum absorption.
In a separate, heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan, melt three sticks of butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter clarifies and the milk solids caramelize, to make browned butter. Remove the pan from heat when the solids are dark brown. Scrape up all the bits and melt 1/4 cup of MagicalButter into the browned butter.
Combine the browned butter mixture with remaining ingredients together with a whisk to form batter. Strain standing brandy-infused fruit mixture, reserving liquid, and mix-infused fruit pieces into batter. Reserved fruit-infused brandy liquid will be used later for basting the cake.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You can bake these individually in muffin tins or a springform cake pan, a stainless steel bowl, or even a loaf pan. Spray whichever you use with generous amounts of cooking spray. Cook for 10 minutes. Spin the pan 180 degrees and cook another eight minutes. Timing depends on the vessel, your oven, the size of the cake, and the altitude, so look for a golden brown color and a little bounce back when you poke the top. Remove from the pan and invert on a rack to cool. Sprinkle reserved brandy liquid over the entire surface.
Too Hard Sauce Instructions:
Beat butter and sugar together. When it's fluffy and homogenous, add brandy. Refrigerate until serving.
To Serve:
Warm cake in a 300 degree oven for four minutes. Gently heat up two tablespoons of brandy to make it easier to burn. At the dinner table, pour the warm brandy over your "pudding" and spark it up. Plop some hard sauce on the warm cake and pass around a waiver for your guests to sign before they dig in!
Pro-tips:
- This cake is better overcooked than undercooked.
- If you light it on fire, warm the brandy to room temperature first.
- The cake can be served more like pudding if you wrap and refrigerate while warm.
