English Plum Pudding from my sister and Betty Crocker

If you have guessts that would like to help and chopping space, this is a great one to keep them busy awhile, or if you, unlikely though it seems, have some extra time and want a rich, reasonably healthy dessert, this one can do th trick. Lots of fruit and fiber, a bit of fat, and only a moderate amount of sugar per serving. (This is a dessert to nibble at, not eat in large quantities).

1 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t mace
1/2 t. nutmeg
(OR 1/2 t. each allspice and clove, OR 3 t. mulling spice mix, pumpkin pie spice mix, or apple pie spice mix)
1 1/2 c raisins (cut up, at least in half)
1 c. currents,
1 c. dates and/or figs, finely chopped
3/4 c. citron (cut fine)
1/3 c. each candied lemon peel and orange peel (dried tropical fruit such as pinaple, mango, and papaya, chopped fine can be substituted)
1/c - 1 c. walnuts (chopped fine)
1 1/2 - 2 c. (fresh, soft) bread crumbs
1 c margerine (or 2 c. ground suet - per original, richer recipe)
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
3 beaten eggs
1/3 c. current jelly
1/4 c. fruit juice or brandy
Hard sauce

Chop, cut, chop some more. Grease 2 qt. mold (some recipes suggest sprinkling the mold with sugar. We use a metal bowl as a mold, especially one with a small pedestal, which will be set inside a larger metal bowl). In a larger bowl, mix flour, soda, salt, spices. Stir in chopped fruit, nuts, crumbs. In a smaller bowl, cream butter and sugar, add eggs, jely, juice, and stir into fruit and flour mixture. Pour the mass into the mold and gently pack into place. There should be at least a couple of inches of expansion room. Cover mold with foil

Put mold in dutch oven (or a larger bowl/large pot with a cover), preferably on a rack if it doesn't have a pedestal. Pour in water around the mold up to about an inch from the top and cover. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and steam the mold/pudding until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Add water to pan as needed (this can take 3-4 hours of simmering time. If cooked too hot and fast, the pudding will get heavy instead of light. To reheat, wrap in foil and heat at 350 for 1 hr.

Hard Sauce

1/2 c. margerine (may help to melt it, first)
1 c. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla or brandy
opt. 1 egg white (the extra egg yok can go in the pudding)

Mix all ingredients. For fluffier sauce, beat egg white until fluffy and add to sauce. For flaming pudding, heat brandy, pour over unmolded pudding, and light with match