Real Christmas Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 pint fine breadcrumbs
• 0.5 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
• 0.5 cup preserved ginger
• black pepper
• paprika
• 1 cup browned flour
• 6 egg whites
• milk or boiling water
• brandy

Instructions

1. Toast the pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good brown without burning. Pour the half cup of strong black coffee over them and let stand until soft.
2. Beat the six egg yolks very light with the two cups of yellow sugar and one cup of creamed butter. Add the soaked crumbs and mix until very smooth.
3. Meanwhile, soak the cup of halved raisins, cup of currants, cup of shredded citron, and cup of broken nut meats in the tumbler of sherry, tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy until well soaked.
4. Add the fruit and any surplus liquors to the egg and sugar mixture. Gradually mix in the teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, then the half cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika. Beat smooth.
5. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites alternately with the cup of browned flour. If the batter becomes too thick to stir handily, thin it with a little milk or boiling water.
6. Pour the mixture into a clean, freshly scalded pudding bag, leaving room for the pudding to swell. Place the bag 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.
7. Make several days beforehand. On Christmas day, boil for an extra hour. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce flavored with either fruit or wine.