New England Christmas Pudding Recipe

Directions:

1. Grease a pudding mold well with extra butter and dust with flour. Cover top with large piece of greased foil an fold snugly over sides of mold to keep steam out. Remember to leave some slack in foil because pudding will need room to expand.
2. Mix together breadcrumbs, Craisins, molasses and melted butter. Combine baking soda and water and add to crumb mixture; mix well.
3. Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Stir into crumb mixture. Pour mixture into greased pudding mold.
4. Place mold on rack in steamer or large pot. Add boiling water to halfway up sides of pudding mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours or until firm to touch.
5. Variation:
6. Pudding can be placed in cloth bag instead of mold. Place bag in pot with enough water to cover bag. Boil until pudding is firm to touch.
7. Pudding can be covered with Molasses-Maple Syrup Sauce:
8. 1/2 cup light molasses 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 Teaspoon malt vinegar
9. Heat combined ingredients. Heat to boiling; then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Serve over steamed or baked pudding.