It’s not flaming yet, but Marybelle “Carrot Pudding” will be flaming good! This has been part of our lives for the past forty years. After Ann’s huge Christmas dinner, I always ask for a sliver of Marybelle’s pudding, with a spoonful of whipped cream, which my friend then steals for me from the top of the trifle. Ann makes her mom’s pudding every year for Christmas and serves it with hard sauce. Instead of hard sauce, I made a batch of hot rum sauce for it, and naturally, it will be served with whipped cream. Marybelle used to make her pudding with suet, but since suet is not readily available anymore, Ann replaced it with butter. That is how I made it too. I was going to take a picture in the dark igniting the hot brandy, but we dug into the pudding in the afternoon, so there is no photo of it at this time. The required ingredients are basic, and you probably have all the fixings in your pantry and fridge. Serve it on a platter, pour some HOT brandy on the top, ignite and cheer!
MARYBELLES FLAMING PUDDING
1 generous cup grated carrots 1 generous cup grated potatoes
1/2 - 2/3 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 scant cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp molasses
• Combine carrots, potato, suet and raisins.
• Stir in sugar and molasses.
• Sift together the dry ingredients.
• Stir in the raisins.
• Pour into a well-buttered heatproof 6-cup bowl.
• Cover with aluminum foil and tie it down with a kitchen string.
• Fashion a little handle from kitchen string and attach it to the bowl. The reason for this is for easy removal, in case you have to lift out the bowl from the steam pot.
• Place the bowl inside the steamer and fill up the bottom pot with hot water, right up to the bowl, but not submerging it.
• Place a well fitting lid on the top.
• Bring the water to full boil.
• Reduce heat to low medium and steam the pudding for 3 hours.
• Replenish the water in the bottom pot as needed.
• After three hours remove the bowl from the steamer pot and let it sit for 10 minutes. After shrinking a bit, the pudding should separate from the bowl.
• Remove the foil, but be mindful not to burn your hands.
• Place a serving platter on the top and invert the bowl.
• Carefully pry bowl off the pudding.
• To flame your pudding, pour a little HOT brandy on the top and ignite.
• Let the flame die down and slice.
• Serve the hot pudding with hot rum sauce and vanilla flavoured whipped cream.
