OK, Citizens, I admit it – this is actually a CHRISTMAS pudding recipe, but one that I have adapted for Hanukkah and made a few alterations to suit my own taste. Hanukkah and Christmas fall pretty much at the same time this year, and I thought I’d create a celebratory classic pudding, but for Hanukkah this year, not Christmas!
Why?
Because I LIKE Christmas pudding and thought it high-time Jews had a similar spiced offering for our holiday. There is nothing stopping non-Jews from using my fantastic recipe for a Christmas pudding – so, we kill two metaphoric birds with one stone! 😉
Also, since this bad boy is served flaming, why NOT make it a Hannukah minhog (custom) moving forward – it is the Festival of Lights, after all?! 🙂
It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year.
Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), or an anchor (to symbolize safe harbor). Instead of the traditional items hidden in the pudding, I have included 2 small metal dreidels as my suggested appropriate totems. 😉
Once turned out of its basin, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or “fired”), the pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause.
May your holidays all burn bright, Citizens! 😀
Battle on – The Generalissimo
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The Hirshon Flaming Hanukkah Pudding
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 12 1/4 oz golden raisins
- 12 1/4 oz currants
- 5 1/4 oz dried figs, chopped
- 4 1/2 oz candied citrus peel (I prefer lime peel, personally)
- 3 1/2 oz dried Mediterranean apricots
- 2 1/2 oz dark glace cherries, halved
- 5 fl oz Grand Marnier
- 3 1/2 oz ginger in syrup, chopped, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup
- 1 apple, grated
- 1 quince, grated (if unavailable, use another apple)
- 2 oranges, juice and zest
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 8 3/4 oz shredded suet
- 12 1/4 oz soft light brown sugar
- 8 3/4oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 6 1/4 oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp mixed grated cardamom and nutmeg
- 2 small clean metal dreidels
- Kirsch cherry brandy for flaming
Instructions
- For this recipe you will need two 2 ½ pint plastic pudding basins with lids.
- Soak the raisins, currants, figs, peel, apricots and cherries in the brandy overnight, giving it a good stir now and again.
- The following day, in a large bowl mix the ginger, syrup, apples or quinces, orange juice and zest with the eggs, suet, sugar, crumbs and flour.
- Stir in the soaked fruit and spice.
- Butter the two pudding basins and divide the mix between them. Add dreidels now if using.
- Cut two circles of greaseproof paper to cover the top of the pudding and fold a pleat down the center to allow pudding to expand.
- Put lids on the basins and steam puddings for 3 ½ hours.
- Let puddings cool before removing greaseproof paper and covering tightly with cling film and lid. The puddings can now be stored in a cool, dry place until Hanukkah.
- To reheat, steam pudding for a further 3 ½ hours, turn out and flame with kirsch. Serve immediately!
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Category: Recipes
Nutrition
- Calories: 2180.9 kcal
- Sugar: 229.62 g
- Sodium: 601.37 mg
- Fat: 69.86 g
- Saturated Fat: 35.69 g
- Trans Fat: 0.02 g
- Carbohydrates: 356.33 g
- Fiber: 24.51 g
- Protein: 32.2 g
- Cholesterol: 282.11 mg
We are Jewish with our own traditions. This is a flaming Christmas pudding; very delicious with hard sauce but not our tradition. No, I will not adopt this ever.