Suet Pudding

My family had Thanksgiving dinner together tonight and we started talking about the recipes at the table that had been handed down, in some cases for multiple generations.

This led to a discussion of my Irish grandmother’s suet pudding. It was the most wonderful pudding, cake really. I remember every Christmas we would go to her house and I soon as I walked through the door I ran for the kitchen. She would have this huge steamer kettle covering half the stove and I would sit and watch that kettle until it was finished. I think I drove her a bit nuts, but she loved making it for me. It was a sweet moist bread pudding with raisins and topped with a creamy lemon sauce.

She has long since passed away and every year I ask my aunt and uncles for the recipe, several say they have it, but can never seem to find it. So I am now on a mission to find one that is at least similar to hers. I remember the taste of cinnamon and possibly cloves. Has anyone seen such a recipe? If so could you post it, PLEASE?!?! I have found several on the net, but none seem to be close to hers.

Thanks
DD

OMG--we always had Suet Pudding too. My great-aunt Tottie always made it a few weeks before Thanksgiving, then it was reheated for turkey day dinner and served with "Hard Sauce". It was steamed in a cooker that everyone referred to as a Betsey Ross Cooker. She kept the recipes for both a secret and they went to the grave with her! I too, have searched for the recipes over the years. And yes, my mother's family was Irish, Aunt Tottie was second generation.

I slaved or a Suet Pudding one year for Christmas- I had always done an Italian style Chritmas dinner and this one year I thought I would do an English version- standing Rib roast of beef- Yorkshire pudding and for dessert a Suet Pudding with a Brandy Hard Sauce- everyone ate and then my family asked "Where's the lasagne?" needless to say I have stuck with the Italian version all these years, but I do have several Suet Pudding Recipes- Here is one:
1/2 cup of suet
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 pound of figs,finely chopped
1/2 cup English walnut meats
2-1/2 cups stale bread crumbs
1/2 cup seeded raisins,cut up
3/4 cup of milk
2 TBS flour
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs well beaten
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon

chop suet and work with hand until creamy. then add figs. Soak breadcrumbs in milk, add eggs and spices, sugar and salt. Combine mixtures, add nut meats and raisins that have been dredged in the flour. sprinkle over baking powder and then beat mixture thoroughly. place in buttered metal coffee can, fill to about 2/3's full- use foil for a cover- tie on with string- place mold (or coffee can) on a trivet in a kttle containing boiling water. Water must come up to 1/2 way on the mold. Keep water at boiling for the entire 3-1/2 hours. Add boiling water to kettle as needed-

And here is an old fashioned recipe for Hard Sauce-
cream 1/3 cup of butter, gradually add 1 cup of brown sugar and then 2 TBS of good brandy- drop by drop. place in pretty serving bowl and serve with Pudding.
I do have some other Pudding recipes on hand- feel free to contact me via e-mail and I will be happy to provide them.

Dixie

I did a search and this one interesting. Cinnamon is not listed but could be added.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmas-Suet-Pudding/Detail.aspx

Hope this helps.

ps. This seems to what your looking for.

http://www.op.net/~rkane/RbyM/suep.htm

edwmax - that last one sounds very close. I'll give it a try. Thank you!!

Dixie Dawgs, Please, let us know how it turns out. Maybe I'd make a stab at it too! Thanks, Mickie