Ah, goofball Christmas memories from early years...
Know that carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"? My parents had that on an old HiFi record from the holiday clearance rack at Sears. My brother and I could never resist singing along with the operatic soaring soprano: "Oh, brrrrrrrring us some fig-gy puuuuuuudding!" As little kids feeling the December pressure of Santa's scrutiny, there was real appeal to declaring loudly that we wanted treats now and wouldn't go until we got some.
The other day that carol came on in the car and I sang along opera-style to make Eli giggle. (Alas, my voice cannot even approach a soar.) Then I got to wondering for the 1,001st time... What in the heck is figgy pudding? And is it worth issuing cheeky commands to get a few bites? So I did a little sleuthing on the web. It turns out that the Christmas carol is about five centuries old and the English usage of the word "pudding" usually refers to a steamed cake. After sifting through various links, it became clear that there are dozens of versions of Figgy Pudding. Some are laced with alcohol while some are not. (Oh, the excitement of a dessert set aflame!) There are "blondes" and "brunettes," pale or dark puddings. Figgy Pudding comes molded into mounds or rings but can also be cooked as a lump inside a linen sack. Figgy Pudding may be packed with various dried fruits while other recipes take the purist approach and include only figs. My curiosity was almost sated when I ran across the positive reviews for a non-alcoholic Figgy Pudding recipe by Chef James Thomas. Hey. Why not try making the stuff?
Soft, seedy, sticky little figs chopped and dropped into a pan, awaiting a bath in hot milk to turn them into mush...
After making a thick batter largely composed of eggs and breadcrumbs, the magic baking process began. The Figgy Pudding bakes in a Bundt pan, but one that is covered in buttered foil and sits in a deep bath of water.
Most of the flavor in the pudding comes from cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh orange peel. Oh, does it ever make the kitchen smell good during its two-hour cook time!
And then at last I unmolded the very moist cake, fragrant with spices and fresh citrus. It is springy but dense and hides chewy bits of fig. It isn't one of those desserts where you cut yourself a huge, rich hunk. Instead, this is one of those treats you could almost eat with a spoon, savoring each warm bite with some steamy winter beverage. This is a grown up dessert with complex flavors that linger on the palate.
Yes. If I was out Christmas caroling on a chilly night and smelled warm Figgy Pudding wafting out of someone's brightly-lit doorway, I might very well refuse to go until I got some.
Note:
Figgy Pudding is often served with hard sauce (a sweet, buttery sauce usually made with brandy or other alcohol). In the recipe reviews, however, someone mentioned making Raspberry Fig Sauce to go with it. Sounded good to me, so that's what I did too. I'm glad I did because it was easy, yummy, and the jewel-like color was lovely alongside the caramel-colored pudding.
Click HERE for Chef Thomas' Figgy Pudding recipe on Food.com.
Click HERE for the Raspberry Fig Sauce recipe.
Click HERE for an article about Figgy Pudding from National Public Radio.
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