Frozen Plum Pudding

This is a frozen custard, not a baked pudding: a chocolate crème anglaise loaded with the candied and dried fruit of a Christmas plum pudding, churned and then ripened in a mould. The hinge is the custard stage, which must thicken without curdling.

• The first quantity of cream is not givenThe recipe says to beat the yolks with cream but never says how much. A few tablespoons is enough to loosen the yolks before the scalded milk goes in; the pint of cream added later is the body of the dish.
• Custard temperature"Cook until mixture coats a spoon" means 170-175F in a double boiler or heavy pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Past 180F the yolks scramble; strain the custard as insurance before chilling.
• Extract of cinnamonCinnamon extract is still sold but uncommon. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, as it is far stronger than vanilla; a cinnamon stick steeped in the scalding milk and lifted out gives a rounder flavour.
• Melted chocolateFour tablespoons of melted chocolate is roughly 2 oz by weight, and in American books of this era plain "chocolate" usually meant unsweetened baking chocolate. With a cupful of sugar in the custard, modern semi-sweet will make the whole thing cloying.
• Chopped mixed fruitA pint of fruit here is presumably the plum-pudding sort: raisins, currants, candied citron and orange peel, chopped fine. Soaking it an hour in brandy or sherry keeps the pieces from freezing into gravel; drain before folding in.
• "Freeze, then pack in a mould"The first freezing was done in a hand-cranked freezer packed with ice and coarse salt. An ice-cream machine does the same job; churn until stiff, then press into a chilled mould, cover, and hold in the freezer two hours or more to ripen.
• Fold the second cream in whippedThe second cream -- As written the pint of cream goes in liquid, before freezing. If you prefer a lighter set, chill the custard first and fold the cream in whipped to soft peaks; adding liquid cream to warm custard thins it.
• YieldAbout 1 1/2 quarts, serving eight to ten. Unmould by dipping the mould briefly in warm water and let the pudding sit five minutes before slicing.