English Christmas Pudding Ii - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon clove, ground
1 cup molasses
1 cup milk
1/3 cup mixed candied fruit
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup suet, finely chopped or 1/2 cup butter, melted
Hot Vanilla Sauce:
1 quart milk
1 cup sugar
10 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vanilla bean

Preparation

Mix all dry ingredients, fruit, raisins, nuts and suet. Add molasses and then milk to rinse all molasse s into the mixture. Mix well.
Grease and flour a 3 pound empty Crisco can or similar size, smooth sided can.
Put mixture into can.
Cover with double thickness of aluminum foil.
Tie foil on with string.
Set can in large pot or kettle half full of water.
Cover and steam 2 1/2 hours after water boils.
Serve slices covered with hot vanilla sauce* and real whipped cream.
Bring 3 1/2 cups milk and vanilla bean to a boil.
Whip sugar and yolks over hot water to lukewarm.
Stir in cornstarch to remaining cold milk.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling mixture and bring to a full boil.
Pour the boiling starch-milk over the lukewarm egg-sugar mixture, whisking forcefully.
Keep warm on steam table or double boiler.
This sauce is good over puddings and souffles.