So Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

This month in homeschool, the kids and I have been reading Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol together.  To really enhance our study of 19th Century London, we made a batch of figgy pudding and ate it while watching the 1984 George C. Scott rendition of the movie.  FYI:  In my opinion as a 19th Century English Lit junkie, the George C. Scott is hands down the absolute best movie rendition of the novel that has ever been made.  Tim disagrees, believing that the 1999 Patrick Stewart version rules the day.  (Personally, I think Tim - a big fan of Star Trek - just likes hearing Jean-Luc Picard say, "Bah, Humbug!")

So here's how we made Figgy Pudding.
(Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com)

Pudding Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped dried pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
2 cups water
1 teaspoon baking soda
7 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, grated
spray or butter for coating ramekins

Sauce:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups heavy cream
14 Tablespoons butter (no, that is not a misprint)
fresh figs for garnish
vanilla or ice cream, optional

 Preheat the oven to 350.  Add the dried dates and figs and water to a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.  Remove pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then add to a blender and puree.

Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Fold in the flour, the pureed date mixture and the chocolate.

 Put the mixture int 4 (we actually used 5) buttered, 1 cup individual ramekins, filling halfway or slightly under.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Prepare the sauce by stirring the sugar, cream and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Simmer until the sugar dissolves.  Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Pudding may be served in the ramekin or unmolded onto a small serving plate.  Pour the sauce into the center of each pudding.  Top with fresh figs and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  Serve warm.

For those who have never had a traditional English pudding, you'll note that this is not a "pudding" in our American sense of the word:  it's a cake.  And it is GOOD.  If you like raisins, you'll like figgy pudding.  Perhaps this might just become a family tradition of ours each year.  But then again, perhaps anything tastes good when it's topped with a sauce made of brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream and served warm!

--Kara