I am sure it comes as no surprise to you that my Plum Duff has no plums in it. Plum Duff is a steamed pudding. King George called it Plum Duff , demanded it at Christmas in 17 something and was called the Pudding King from then on. On the old sailing ships it was called Plum Duff. It was made with raisins and dough and boiled. My father spent some time at sea as a young man, I think that is why our Christmas Pudding was always greeted with shouts of The Plum Duff! For Christmas they fancied it up of course and called it Christmas Pudding.
This was one of the traditional Christmas puddings in our home in New Zealand. Which is really pretty wild, considering that Christmas is in the middle of summer and we lived at the beach. Mum would serve it steaming with hot custard to pour over the top, and hokey pokey icecream beside it. The cold of the ice cream and the hot of the pudding is a wonderful memory.
Plum Duff is also called Plum Pudding, Christmas Pudding, Christmas Bag Pudding and a few more. 
I was looking at Pease Puddings Christmas cake when I began making the Plum Duff and she has introduced dried tropical fuits to her cake. She did this because she is living in New Zealand in a warm christmas climate. So I thought I would try that with a Christmas pudding because I am not living in New Zealand and I miss the warm Christmas climate.
I should have started this on Advent Sunday (the fourth Sunday before Chrtistmas Day.) But ah well.
I minced two and a half cups of packed dried fruit. Dried mango, apricot, dates, raisins, sultanas and a few peels of fresh lime and orange. A few prunes too. You can put in whatever you fancy. I pulsed this in a reluctant food processor, then covered it with brandy and it sat for a week.
First using your fingers dust the fruit with the flour.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients then the wet ingredients.
Flour a big piece of cheese cloth.
Spoon the stiff mixture onto the cloth. Wrap it, tie it, leaving enough space for the cake to rise within, then make a loop, pass your wooden spoon through the loop and lower into the boiling water.
Simmer on a hot woodstove for 2 1/2 hours. 
Mum made hers in a stainless steel bowl with a lid she made from tin foil. She set this into a pot of boiling water and it floated and bobbed about in there, cooking madly, while Mum thought of a way to get it out without burning herself to death when it was cooked. A double boiler might have been a more sensible idea.
Recipe for Plum Duff
- 2 1/2 cups minced dried fruit.
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup wheatgerm
- 1 teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon rum essence, or almond essence or vanilla essence.
- You can also add almonds. Or more sugar if you like it sweeter. Or use a box of pre made fruit mince. In the old days they added a silver coin for good luck (or bad luck if your tooth hit it). The recipe, per se, has been round since the 1700’s so feel free to play with it!
I cut a wee piece out so that I could do a taste test. It is lighter in colour due to the lighter fruits and is good! Now the pudding can be wrapped and stored until Christmas Day. Then reheated and served with hot custard and cold hokey pokey ice cream!
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
87 responses to “My Plum Duff has No Plums in it! What a duffer!”
I’ve honestly never heard of plum duff, but it looks absolutely fantastic! Lovely post and lovely recipe as per usual 😀
Thanks Frugal, i shall pop over to your place right now and see what is in your kitchen! c
I think I would adore this – sadly, my husband would not. Perhaps I can make it to take somewhere…because try this I MUST!!!
Poor Husband, misses out again. oh well (sigh)..does he not like cake? tell him it is cake! c
He likes cake…boring, chocolate cake from a box. He was deprived of gourmet options as a child and, despite 15 years of marriage, still cannot be convinced to eat certain things. He does eat fish more now, though, and it was actuall he who got me to eat brussel sprouts, which I now love…so I guess it’s a give and take!!!
How pretty!
thank you yummy! c
Mmm… that looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Ollin, I must pop over and see what you are up to, you have been way too quiet lately! c
Your plum duff looks so tempting! I also grew up in NZ and also have wonderful Christmas memories. I grew up in Wellington though so just because it was summer didn’t mean it was warm!
Oh My god, you really did grow up in NZ to know that!! SSHH. Everyone thinks we lived in paradise! No-one knows about the howling welly winds! c
To think, I thought you needed plums to make plum pudding which I always thought odd. Who has plums at Christmas? Then again, I thought Yorkshire pudding was really pudding. And, to make matters worse, Mom’s holiday dessert was a dish called Zuppa Inglese which when translated literally means English Soup but everyone knows it as English Pudding. Dessert is supposed to be easy.
Your little round up of the vagaries of pudding has made complete sense to those of us who understand the convolutions of your mind John.. Do you have the recipe for your mothers Zuppa inglese? c
Yes, though I probably won’t be posting it until the week between Christmas and New Year’s. (Sorry, Mom!) I’d wanted to do it beforehand but my small appliances are in revolt, turning my schedule upside-down as I wait for a part and a replacement.
damn those small appliances!! turning stuff upside down! c
So beautiful! I fear the calories are globbing on to me by viewing your yummy pics!
I know Bella, though it is half fruit after all so maybe we can pretend it is slightly better for us than bread! c
I am so going to make this over the weekend. Do you think mutton cloth would work?
I think mutton cloth would probably be more authentic too. If you have to top the water up as you are cooking, pour in boiling water. And if your mixture is a bit runny, just add a little more flour, Start your fruit today, so it soaks up the brandy!! mm Brandy! or rum. have fun c
Mmmm, hokey pokey icecream. (drool)
Drool!!!
That is a seriously big pudding – I don’t know if appetites have changed over the years, but I don’t think I could deal with that after eating turkey and the trimmings. I’d need one day for turkey and another for plum duff – still, it does sound very good.
Too true, roger. ,maybe the pudding in the evening, Our portions were not as generous as modern portions for sure! c
how will you resist taste testing between now and Christmas?
MM, very good point tandy, I caught john doing a wee bit of tasting last night too!
That looks great. When I saw the photo and before reading, I wondered if you were going to dip it in your not-so-wee pot of meat and veggie broth. Steaming seems more convenient. (Memo to myself : add one more ton of dried fruits to shopping list.).
>dessert is cold and pudding is hot?
Not expert in English and the meaning of words now. But “dessert” meant “clearing the table” . That was at the origin the last item served before folding the tables. The contrary of pudding. From what I have read, in Middle Age, the Christmas dinner, for rich people started with a sort of hot milk pudding (probably like your recipe minus the fruits), before all the roasts and decadent dishes (all served at the same time, sweet and savory). The poorer had only that pudding. They were all fasting before, so they would break the fast with something easy to digest.That was in France, but the countries were not separated (you guys invaded us to say the truth) and they had similar habits in Britannic islands. Pudding and boudin are the same word. Later in France, from 16th Century, they added meat, then cream, even truffles to the boudin, but no dry fruits. The evolution was different in England. Since 19th century, French Christmas pudding (boudin blanc de Noel) is a white creamy meat sausage. It’s historic and no longer a Christmas dinner item. It is sold and enjoyed all over December. People have changed of strategy. Instead of fasting, they gradually train their stomach to over-eat. That’s my fav sausage. I make a few most years.
Pottage is that hot savoury milk pudding you are thinking of, and I love it when you comment My, because I learn stuff and it gets me to thinking, Lots of good info there and Blood sausage is also called black pudding, Have you made your white sausage on the blog yet? I would like to try that. As a French girl cooking in Japan you have collected a fairly broad knowledge of food. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.. c
I have just re-blogged the “boudin blanc” made last year.
Thank you so Much. i have added the chicken to my grocery list and will make this this afternnoon. After reading the recipe i suspect this will become a frequent dinner around here! Can i make extra and freeze them? c
I have never tried to freeze it, but there should no problem. Anyway you can keep some in the fridge during a good week.
I am sure it will be eaten up. We are going to make it on saturday, when the mincer is out! thank you My. c
Lovely memories! Such a beautiful photo of your cake! I’ve never had Plum Duff or Christmas Pudding, but it sure looks tasty!
it is tasty and this one is quite light compared to some. thanks Phyllis.. c
Wrapped and stored until Christmas day would be a little bit of a problem for me – as I would go back just for a little nibble and just a little slither with some custard after dins and just a little piece with tea – well you get the picture.
🙂 Mandy
I certainly do get the picture and what a tasty picture that is.. maybe I will change the rules!! c
This looks, and sounds, too much like fruitcake to me. You would rightly guess that I do not like fruitcake. None-the-less, you taught me something today and learning is always good. Right?
Yes the learning is the thing.. if we all liked the same things life would be a dull place! c