Real Christmas Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 pint fine breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup strong, clear black coffee
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cups yellow sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup currants
• 1 cup citron
• 1 cup nut meats
• 1 tumbler sherry
• 1 tumbler rum
• 1 wineglass apricot brandy
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup preserved ginger
• black pepper
• paprika
• 1 cup browned flour
• 6 egg whites
• milk or boiling water
• brandy

Instructions

1. Toast a pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good brown without burning, pour on them half a cup of strong, clear black coffee, and let stand till soft.
2. Beat six egg-yolks very light with two cups of yellow sugar and one of creamed butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix very smooth.
3. Meantime, soak a cup of raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean currants, a cup of shredded citron, and a cup of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler of sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy.
4. Add the fruit when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, putting in any surplus liquors.
5. Mix in gradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of cloves and allspice, half a cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika.
6. Beat smooth, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately with a cup of browned flour. If too thick to stir handily, thin with a little milk or boiling water.
7. Pour into a clean pudding bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the pudding to swell.
8. Put in a deep kettle of boiling water, and boil for five hours, filling up the kettle as needed with boiling water so as not to check the cooking.
9. Make several days beforehand, and boil an extra hour upon Christmas day.
10. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce, either fruit or wine flavored.