A Recipe For Boozy Figgy Pudding For Later; Whiskey Cocoa Bundt Cake For Now

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won’t go until we get some;

We won’t go until we get some;

We won’t go until we get some, so bring some out here 

Most of us have heard the lyric from “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, but surprisingly few people know what “figgy pudding” actually is. More importantly, how to get some. 

Why was figgy pudding such a coveted commodity? Because it’s full of booze! It turns out it’s surprisingly easy to make one—that is, if you plan ahead and have the right equipment. It comes together quickly, but for best results, the pudding is brushed with liquor every few days or so until it’s ready to eat. The longer it can absorb those flavors, the better it tastes. So if you want to have one ready for Christmas week to accompany your cup of good cheer, it should ideally be started right away. 

No time or patience? Then make a Whiskey Cocoa Bundt Cake, which comes together in less than an hour and can be enjoyed anytime. 

Figgy Pudding 

(For best results, allow at least two weeks of “feeding” time, four if you can swing it) 

Serves 4 – 6

Note: This is an adaptation of a recipe shared with me by UK-based drinks historian Anistatia Miller. It’s best prepared in a traditional pudding bowl (a.k.a. pudding basin), which is an approximately 1 liter/ 2 pints ceramic (stoneware), enamel or metal bowl with a well through the center, sort of like a reverse bundt pan. You could prepare this in a comparatively sized bowl with no middle cutout, but it won’t have that classic ring shape. You will also need a stock pot large enough to hold and cover the basin. 

“Been having a ball making these,” says Miller. “The best is when you realize how well the booze and fruit meld together in a mellow mix at the end of the aging process.”

Ingredients: 

5 to 6 dried figs

3 dried dates, pitted

3 to 4 dried apricots and/or sultanas/prunes

100ml brandy/dark rum/or whiskey, plus more for “feeding” 

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup turbinado sugar

1 tsp allspice

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 medium apple, peeled and grated

1 Tb orange liqueur 

2 large eggs beaten

Preparation: 

1. Chop the figs, dates and apricots into small pieces. Place in a bowl with the apples and pour over the 100 ml of spirits. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar, spice, breadcrumbs and eggs until well combined. Add the orange liqueur and boozy fruit mixture, including any residual liquid in the bowl, until combined. 
3. Grease the inside of your pudding bowl with butter, margarine or cooking spray. Spoon the mixture into the pudding bowl. If your pudding basin has no lid and handle (some come with), cut a double circle of baking parchment that is much larger than the pudding basin, make a pleat in the centre then place over the pudding basin and cover with a circle of pleated foil. 
4. Place a saucer or a large biscuit cutter in a large pan, add the filled pudding pan then pour in some boiling water until it covers three quarters of the way up the pudding.
5. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for two and half hours (check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or sharp knife in, with only a few moist crumbs emerging, as with a cake), topping up the water as necessary throughout.
6. Remove from the pan when cooked. Let cool. Brush with more rum/brandy/spirit. Wrap in cling film and then in foil. Store for four weeks out of sunlight, brushing more booze on the pudding at least once a week and then re-wrapping. 

To serve: Miller suggests plating the pudding and then flambéeing it with rum/brandy/spirit, then spooning an additional brandy butter sauce or “hard sauce” over it. You could also serve it with a custard, ice cream or whipped cream and also without the flambé bit if you want to skip the pyrotechnics. 

Whiskey Cocoa Bundt

Created for Basil Hayden’s by Matt Lewis of Baked NYC

This recipe was created with Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye, which is a whiskey mixed with a hint of port wine, adding an essence of baked fruit flavor to the cakes. If you can’t find it, another rye or bourbon would still be excellent in the recipe. 

Serves 14 – 18 mini bundts or makes 1 full sized bundt 

Ingredients:

¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened, dark cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pan(s)

1 Tb instant espresso powder

½ cup (120 ml) brewed hot coffee or hot water

½ cup (120 ml) whiskey (Lewis uses Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye) 

2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 ¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp baking soda

2 ¼ cups (495 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup plus 2 Tb (210 ml) canola oil

1 Tb pure vanilla extract 

2 large eggs

2 additional large egg yolks

1 ½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Thoroughly coat the inside of the mini bundts or a large bundt cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray, and dust with 2 to 3 Tb of cocoa powder. Knock out the excess. 
2. Place cocoa powder and the instant espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot coffee or hot water directly over the powders and whisk until combined. Whisk in the whiskey. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. 
4. In another large bowl, whisk brown sugar, oil and vanilla until combined. Add the eggs and egg yolks (save the whites for whiskey sours!) and whisk again until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Whisk each addition gently to combine. 
5. Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and whip just until medium peaks form. Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the batter to lighten it. Fold in half of the remaining whipped cream until incorporated, then fold the rest until no streaks remain. 
6. Pour the batter into the coated pan and bake for 14 – 17 minutes, or until a sharp knife or toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. 
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cooled cake(s) from the pan and turn onto the rack with the crown facing up. Enjoy!!!