I had all good intentions of posting this recipe yesterday but time kept getting away from me (yes, I know the road to 'hell' is paved with good intentions). But time may not be the only reason for the posting delay. It is one I will shamelessly admit to you now that uses a cake mix. Yes, it's true, I don't always follow the 'everything has to be from scratch' rule all of the time. Every once in awhile I do make something 'semi-homemade'. And as part of this culinary confession I must also admit that up until now I have always been a little reluctant to share this recipe (even though someone shared it with me) because I hadn't wanted everyone to know of my little rule deviation or spoil their experience of thinking they were having a Dicken's era confection. But after giving it some thought and in keeping with the spirit of the holidays, I thought I should be a little more giving and a little less guarded (selfish was the word I was thinking of actually).
I have used antique steamed pudding molds as well as my Williams-Sonoma non-stick steamed pudding mold in the making of this chocolatey confection. I don't believe Williams-Sonoma still sells these molds, however, a quick search on the internet showed they were still for sale out there. In spite of the fact that the Williams-Sonoma mold has a non-stick surface, I always, always spray it with a cooking oil and then lightly flour (a lesson learned the hard way one year).
So what is the secret ingredient that I have been so reluctant to share? Well, it is a regular 15.25 box of Devil's Food cake mix (not a pudding in the cake mix). Yes, a cake mix that transforms into something one would not think came from a box.
The cake mix ix made in accordance with the package directions and poured into the prepared mold. In a pot larger than the mold, you add enough water on the bottom to cover 1/3 of the pan. I use my All-Clad pasta pot but any large stockpot with a lid will work. The pudding mold is sealed and placed in the water where it is cooked on simmer for 90 minutes. It is important that the pot has a good lid as you do not want the steam escaping. Before I began using my All-Clad pan I had a pot where I had to place weights on top of the lid to ensure the steam would not escape. This worked, but I was always worried the weights would fall off and someone would get hurt (that someone being me).
Periodically check to see if you need to add more water (always add very hot water so you don't reduce the temperature of the water) as it is important to maintain a certain amount of water in the cooking process.
After 90 minutes, the steamed pudding is removed from the pot and placed on a cooling rack (remember to also remove the pudding lid) for about 15 minutes before you unmold. You don't want the cooked 'pudding' to cool for more than 30 minutes or it may be difficult to unmold (another painful lesson learned one year). The steamed pudding will still be slightly warm when you carefully unmold.
The hard sauce is kind of like a frosting served on the side. Made of unsalted butter, almond extract, milk, confectionary sugar and a pinch of sea salt, it is the perfect accompaniment to the steamed pudding. Some will prefer to enjoy the Steamed Pudding all on its own while others will like the contrast of pudding and hard sauce flavors on their palate. Personally, I like the Hard Sauce with this steamed pudding. The hard sauce can be made early in the day, but allowed to sit out for at least one hour before serving so it still has a hard, yet creamy consistency.
Serve the Steamed Pudding warm or at room temperature. If you make it early in the day but want to serve it warm, simply reheat on low in the microwave. Whether you make it for Christmas or for any other occasion, it will be one of those memorable desserts. And whether or not you choose to keep its' ingredients a secret the first time you serve it to family and friends is all up to you. Just remember, sometimes a little mystery is a good thing (at least for a little while).
Recipe
Steamed Pudding with Hard Sauce (a recipe shared by a very dear friend along time ago)
Ingredients
Steamed Pudding
A 15.25 ounce box of Devil's Food Cake Mix (made in accordance with package directions). Hint: Do not use the pudding in the mix cake mix.
Hard Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar (added gradually)
pinch of sea salt
Optional: Add one teaspoon of chopped crystallized ginger for a gingered hard sauce.
Directions
Steamed Pudding
1. Pour prepared cake mix into a prepared (oiled and floured) steamed pudding mold.
2. Place mold in a deep pot. Put enough water in pot so it covers 1/3 of the mold. Place lid on pot and simmer for 90 minutes. Periodically check to make sure you have enough water in pot. If you need to add more, make sure the water added is hot.
3. Remove steamed pudding, remove lid and place on a cooling rack. After 15 minutes carefully unmold onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hard sauce
1. In a small bowl, mix together the unsalted butter, almond extract, milk, pinch of sea salt and 1 cup of confectionary sugar until well blended and smooth. If hard sauce is too creamy add up to an additional 1/2 cup of confectionary sugar.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate. If refrigerated, allow to sit out at least one hour before serving. Restir the hard sauce.
In the first annual checker tournament this year, I lost in the second round to my youngest brother. I allowed myself to get distracted and suddenly went from potentially winning to losing. So before the final championship round took place we all sit down to dinner. At the end of dinner I said to my brother's friend how sorry I was that this would be the last time she would be invited to the Christmas dinner. After a planned short pause, I said 'that would be because my youngest brother didn't allow his oldest sister to win the checker's match.' I really, yes really was teasing (partly because as being the hostess I didn't think I should win any tournament, particularly one I created and wrapped the prizes for), but we are a wickedly competitive family, particularly when playing games with one another. Where that competitiveness came from I do not know, but I am convinced it is in our DNA as it appears to have passed down through the generations (although the younger generation has turned this competitiveness, thankfully, toward athletics and academics).
I think we all create or sustain a certain competitive spirit in our families. Whether it is ensuring that everyone gets the 'same or equal' number of gifts (a delicate balancing act for parents) or reinforcing loyalties to certain sports teams by buying their paraphernalia or attending sporting events or supporting family members in their competitive endeavors or even matching one's wit against anothers, possessing a certain level of competitiveness can be a good thing. Like most things it is all about finding the right balance of healthiness and unhealthiness. I am glad we are a family that can play together and against one another without any serious casualties (don't think for a moment there isn't a fair amount of teasing that takes place when one 'loses'). But I can predict now that next year my even more competitive than I sister will ask if we are having the Christmas checkers tournament again as she will not want to go into any game again not having played it in years. Next to being competitive we can sometimes be a little predictable. None of my siblings would have ever predicted the Steamed Pudding with Hard Sauce wasn't completely made from scratch. Just like too much competitiveness, too much predictability isn't always a good thing either.
