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Plum Pudding

Carefully remove the fibres and strings from half pound fresh beef-kidney suet; finely chop with two tablespoons flour and place in a large bowl, adding half pound well-picked and washed currants, half pound seeded Malaga grapes, quarter pound fresh bread crumbs, two ounces chopped candied lemon peel, half pound fine sugar, half teaspoon ground cinnamon, one saltspoon ground nutmeg, half pint good rum and three eggs. Briskly mix the whole together with a wooden spoon for five minutes. Dip a piece of cloth in cold water and wring it out. Spread the cloth on a table, lightly butter it with the hand and sprinkle a little flour over it; shake the cloth to remove the excess of flour. Place the contents of the bowl in the centre of the cloth, bring up the four corners together so as to entirely enclose the pudding and tightly tie it around. Have plenty of boiling water in a large pan and plunge in the pudding. Cover the pan and let boil for two and a half hours. Remove it from the water and hang up for ten minutes. Cut the string and carefully turn it on a hot dish without breaking. Dredge with three tablespoons sugar, pour over one gill of rum, set it on fire and immediately serve with a hard sauce separately N. B. The above pudding will be considerably more than enough for one dinner, and whatever is left over can be wrapped in a clean cloth and put away in a cold place, as it will keep in good condition for three weeks.