The ORIGINAL Christmas Dessert

[@Keihin32]

Jon flexing on us with not just one but TWO pineapples

[@henryford1160]

John

[@tanelipirinen]

But have they been rented or bought?

[@henryspadt6160]

Not to mention all of the exotic foods added to the pudding and hanging about the kitchen

[@edwinam101]

@Henry Ford Actually, it *is* Jon. It’s short for Jonathan, which is the host’s name if you didn’t know.

[@SchokomuffinSarah]

Whatis it about pineapples? They seemed almost obsessed with pineapple shaped things. Is it a christmas only thing though?

[@iersejounge]

We still eat it in Ireland. We had my mums last one for Christmas dinner, two months after she passed. It was a wonderful addition never again to be repeated.

[@trkav]

Same, my father grew up in Ireland and he makes it every year!

[@stephengardiner9867]

Had a similar experience myself. Someone who was rather dear to me passed on a few years ago. She was known for her fruitcakes that she prepared for Christmas gifts for her many (!!!) friends. Now, the Christmas fruitcake that we have such a love/hate reaction to in North America was probably the evolution and morphing of many somewhat similar recipes from various European traditions, including Plum Pudding, Clootie Pudding, etc. Very little remains from the originals, save for the "Spirits" used to anoint the home-made versions periodically. Well, I was, last Christmas (or thereabouts) straightening up the pantry when I came across what I thought was one of her old cake tins. It wasn't empty. The cake inside was in perfect shape and I invited all of her friends that I could to try it. Like in your case, this will never be repeated but it was a welcome surprise.

[@lisamcgeeney8972]

You have to have Plum/Christmas pudding for dessert on Christmas day - served warm with brandy butter or custard. The recipes we use now are very similar to this one - the only real difference is we buy pudding bowls to boil it in. When my grandmother was alive she made several huge puddings every year and we ate them for breakfast, dinner and supper all over Christmas. At breakfast time we just sliced off a few bits and fried them in butter to heat them up a bit. Dad says that when he was a child his mother made each of her 7 children a pudding each at Christmas. My friends mum makes wonderful plum puddings. One Christmas my friend and I travelled from Ireland to visit her sister in Milwaukee who loved her mothers puddings and made sure we had brought several over with us 🙂

[@brendak1145]

Sorry for your loss. What a wonderful memory to cherish.

[@mpgisbtsarmybaefighting2838]

So sorry for your loss, may she rest in peace. I'm glad you have your memories. Take care ❤

[@TastingHistory]

A beautiful cannonball! You are a master of the pudding, sir.

[@spamwisegamgee8796]

And he used the word bedight. A+ recipe

[@scotthartley7837]

Don't knock yourself yours looked tasty as well sir

[@Assassinus2]

I am minded of Captain Jack Aubrey watching this.

[@francesrockett4143]

Mrs Crocombe approves. But where is the pudding mould?

[@arifshahabuddin8888]

Whenever I eat one of Jon Townsend's recipes, I feel like I am tasting history.

[@travisbrewer5391]

Flour of England, Fruit of Spain, met together in a shower of rain. Gathered up in a bag, tied round with a string, if you tell me this riddle, I’ll give you a ring

[@dansharpe2364]

Here in the UK these were and still are made three to six months prior to Christmas and stored in a cool place wrapped in cloth so that they mature and the flavours deepen. Many people would baste the pudding weekly with brandy or rum to keep it moist and to add to the intensity of flavour when finally boiled or steamed again on Christmas Day.

[@covishen]

That's what I was wondering, my understanding is that it needs to sit for several weeks to age.

[@twistedlymemorable]

I'm in Canada and know a few people who make this still! Likewise a few months or more before Christmas.

[@dansharpe2364]

@@covishen Like most rich fruit cakes which include a healthy slug of booze it can be eaten straight away but is so much better when allowed to mature.

[@lyravain6304]

@@dansharpe2364 I thought only the mincemeat was left to age, not the whole pudding. If it does not bother you overmuch, do you have a recipe or other source?

[@_Peremalfait]

Interesting how the tradition faded here in the states, while it's continued in Great Britain. In America holiday desert is usually a fruit pie, like pumpkin or apple.

[@raygale4198]

My late grandmother would make one of these for the entire family every Christmas here in Australia, it was huge. In her recipe the pudding was cooked for nearly a full day if I remember, in early November then hung still in it's clothe in a cool dark place until Christmas Day when it would get a quick 1 hour or so reboil. It was so rich with brandy and fruit and so dense that it was a meal in itself. Doused in fresh home made custard with more brandy drizzled over the cake, divine.

[@winterlounge]

That's amazing. Would love to have seen that in action.

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

my arteries are clogging at the thought lol

[@lizziedripping71]

I made these with my mother every year as a child. Loved them. Wouldn’t touch them now - my focus is healthy eating now

[@andrewrobert5019]

@@lizziedripping71 So you made one every year with your mother as a child but now you're SO healthy you won't even touch one? Gives me all the warm fuzzies lol

[@amogernebula3983]

Does your family still have the recipe or is it lost

[@jasonsimmons8909]

It’s been over 200 years since my family has moved to Canada from the UK and we still make it every Christmas. Just gave my kids the recipe yesterday along with other family recipes.

[@lenaanne9778]

Glad to see the tradition is thriving all over the world that the UK settled, homemade pudding is always the best. all the best from UK

[@alfx5432]

I never had it.

[@legion4698]

@Marshmallow man wdym? they are close allies, america is australias biggest ally

[@LeonArgent]

You guys use suet? Or replace it with something else?

[@honkhonk8009]

welcome to our country. My parents moved here from india lol

[@Ace_Hunter_lives]

How can I possibly thank the YT algorithm enough for pointing me here? What a wonderful channel! I'm a bit of an early American history geek, as well as an avid cook, so this couldn't be more up my alley!

[@tilasole3252]

Buy KZbin Premium perhaps?

[@joelledbetter2926]

I agree I love how much insight can be gained from this channel

[@manchu6005]

Weird how that happened, huh? Thankfully did the same thing to me about 6 months ago. Enjoy!🇺🇸⚔🇬🇪

[@karaamundson3964]

*HARD same!*

[@zenjon7892]

Get ready to have some fun! My wife and I made the onion chops one night and they were great!

[@davidwilcox7]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate that Jon's whisk is a bundle of twigs tied together?

[@OlEgSaS32]

it feels like he's been using that same whisk ever since he started many years ago

[@Pixie3p14]

cracks me up every time

[@holben27]

that's just what a whisk is, and its still the go-to in many poor countries. What you're using now is a "wire whisk" which wasn't even widely adopted outside France until the 1950s.

[@Rocketsong]

Somewhere in the vast catalog of back episodes there is one where they make whisks.

[@mahnamahna3252]

They are available in the Townsends catalog/website And nutmeg too! I have a few pair of the silk socks and wool socks. Love them 💕

[@cjrecord]

Not one, but _two_ pineapples!? Flaunting the wealth!

[@AlexR2648]

They're probably rented 🙄

[@emkav551]

Or painted plaster

[@PtB-qt5bl]

That’s what I was going to say!!

[@myocdtv7935]

My thoughts

[@ghifarakbar8492]

You can get two for one dollar here

[@jeffersonderrickson5371]

Even the poorest of the poor. This speaks to the importance of food and food culture. Our rituals mean so much to us.

[@yourewallsareveryconvenien8292]

@sable Yes

[@rosemarielee7775]

No doubt the amount of fruit varied a lot! A workhouse pudding wouldn't resemble a rich households pudding very much.

[@powerliftingcyborg]

I watched this Christmas 2020, and resolved I would make it Christmas 2021. I’m happy to report that I had the opportunity to make it today and it was terrific! I made a small change and added dried cranberries instead of currents for some extra festive kick. Thanks for everything you do to open the door to these old recipes and the history behind them! Merry Christmas!!

[@isla25]

This is incredibly popular still in Ireland, my mom makes around a dozen each year and it is by far my favourite part of Christmas. Her recipe has been passed down for generations and has lots of whiskey and stout in it, Delicious!

[@witzelasper2821]

Whiskey ...sounds delectable

[@susanroberts3813]

Sounds lovely 😊

[@amberfrazier1256]

Would she share her recipe? You could msg me…☺️

[@marianneleth4957]

I would love to have your mother's recipe. Would you care to share?

[@mathilde1212]

Your description make me hungry !

[@harmsc12]

I now understand the context for "boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stick of holly in his heart"

[@shirleyhinchman8726]

Harmsy. So clever of you to think of that! I can hear old Scrooge now!

[@VitoHGrind]

Ahhh! Yes, it's even clearer now. It's amazing that it still works without full context, but understanding the importance and relevance to the time gives more layers and depth to Scrooge's insult.

[@andrewrobert5019]

SAME

[@wesleythomas7125]

"Bah! Humbug!" "Christmas!? A humbug, uncle?"

[@liv2fly88]

I have made the Scottish analog of this, a Clootie Dumpling. The cloth was dusted with flour after being dunked in the boiling water to begin making a skin, and then the dumpling was slightly dried on a hearth (or in an oven for the modern world) to firm up the skin. It is a truly delicious treat. If you eat the pudding a day later, try slicing it thin and frying it with butter to make crispy edges, then serve with sweet cream.

[@Brinah]

oooh, sounds delicious!!!!

[@witzelasper2821]

My God that sounds yummy

[@LoriCiani]

You provoked a taste memory of my mum's clootie dumpling. A taste of my childhood on Christmas day that was always served with her famouse sherry custard. (Hic!) 😁

[@georgenewlands9760]

In Scotland clootie dumpling is also served at breakfast, fried with bacon and eggs.

[@lindamcneil711]

Love this Jon. Consider soaking the raisins in the brandy. I lived with a lady who was born at the end of the 1800s who taught me how to cook. She also ran at a bakery in a hotel. She always told me to either soak the dried raisins in liquor or in water with baking soda.

[@agrarianarc]

Yes! That’s what I do when I make stollen at Christmas 🌲

[@veronicajean3612]

Yes I was thinking that. The last one I watched used brandy,rum and beer. Soaked all the fruit in that

[@danbremson9036]

The original edibles

[@Gerryjournal]

I soak mine for a week

[@breannathompson9094]

@@danbremson9036 hemp pudding is possible with that suet lol!

[@tim777us]

I have started watching and am averaging an episode a day. This channel is pure gold! A window right into the frontier! Thank you for keeping our American history alive!

[@erinhowett3630]

Mrs. Crocombe would approve.

[@desiraejenks2608]

I'm glad im not the only Mrs. Crocombe fan here.

[@robin-chat2812]

She made one with the dr recently. KZbin. John's looks just as good

[@legalizerapingrussianbroad8299]

You’re such a kiss az.. let me guess: you identify as an “it” whom uses unnecessary and confusing pronouns because you yourself are confused with your gender whilst being starved and dehydrated for attention so you claim to be “unique, quirky, edgy”, call yourself “they/them” and you walk around (unemployed, of course) waving a rainbow LGBTQRWXYZ+$# flag. Rather than behaving normal, filling out a job application and being a useful, contributing member of society, you live in your mommy and daddy’s basement, have green hair, take a shower once or twice a month, don’t brush your teeth, have extremely poor hygiene and read conspiracy theories all day.

[@a.w.4708]

@@legalizerapingrussianbroad8299 nobody gonna fall for it thinking you are serious...

[@angelakellam925]

My grandmother from Scotland, on a visit, made this for us when I was a little, I remember her making it and it being absolutely delicious with just butter. I also remembered the suet as she stressed how important that ingredient was. Funny because that's been over 40 years ago and I've always wanted to make it but never remembered what she called it. Now I know, thanks.

[@sheilasanderson9681]

In Scotland, this is still made and called a clootie dumpling.

[@angelakellam925]

@@sheilasanderson9681 yes, that's what she called it.

[@jontalbot1]

Scots have a tradition of eating Christmas cake with cheese on Hogmanay

[@engineerauthorpilot]

My grandmother made plum pudding when I was a child. I HATED it. Then I became an adult and made it on a whim. I LOVED it. If done correctly, with hard sauce (powdered sugar, butter and rum), it tastes fantastic. All those lost years. Lol

[@garystinten9339]

It's the one time of year I look forward to.. plum pudding.

[@priscillamoore5736]

@engineerauthorpilot ~ I agree with you about the hard sauce. It's the best part, in my opinion. :-D

[@mchapman1928]

I still make hard sauce. My mum was from London and MIL from Bristol. We had all the fabulous boozy desserts for the holidays, we were buzzed by the end of the day. lol

[@AdamSternberg]

"Hello, welcome to Krogers, how can I help you" "Yes, can you please point me to the Suet and Currant aisles please?"

[@constancemiller3753]

Just buy the one in the bakery aisle. Its tiny but Brandy hides a multitude of sins.

[@markrichards6863]

Suet sounds like lard me.

[@texasred2702]

@@markrichards6863 it's harder than lard. They're not interchangeable. You can probably get some from a butcher or the meat section in the grocery store if you ask ahead.

[@tessaoshea5697]

@@markrichards6863 you can usually use butter instead.

[@amandamiller304]

@@markrichards6863 no it does not taste like lard lard is pork suet is beef

[@TheHonestPeanut]

When I was a kid we'd always have flaming plum pudding for the start of Christmas dessert. My great grandfather would always light it and everyone would cheer and clap cuz reasons. Good memories.

[@TheHonestPeanut]

@Jesse Link 3 well its been about 30 years since the last Christmas like that so i don't think I'm losing that memory haha

[@boat02]

1:58 - "I picked out the one from the London Art of Cookery by Farley because it's the simplest and it's got some good instructions*" * and also because it has nutmeg

[@jackc4011]

also nutmeg slowly kills you...

[@boat02]

@@jackc4011 the dose makes the poison.

[@8Maduce50]

@@jackc4011 there are what are call radical oxygen that exist in the air and these atoms damage cells and DNA. The air is trying to kill you.

[@jackc4011]

@@8Maduce50 lol yep.

[@jackc4011]

@@boat02 yeah idk but he obviously uses more than recommended

[@michelleaus]

I still make the pudding every year in a cloth (I use calico) I do boil mine for 5 hours about 2 months before Christmas ( first I soak the dried fruit in Brandy at least a week before combining all other ingredients. Once boiled for 5 hours it is hung up until Christmas Day, which is boiled an extra 1 hour. Served with brandy sauce, custard and an assortment of creams. Takes ages but well worth the time. It’s now become a family tradition and I love doing it.

[@heatherhoward2513]

Oh yes! My mum made hers pretty much like that and hung it in the cloth in the bathroom, our house was really cold most of the time, and I taught my daughter how to make it that way too. My fruit cake has been made for over a month , the mix was so heavy I had a struggle stirring it! Poured brandy over it when cooling.

[@freedpeeb]

In many parts of Canada it is still a thing. I wouldn't have Christmas without it. We have always made two and put one aside for my grandfather's birthday in Feb.

[@spacewolfcub]

I’ve only seen them in BC as Christmas Cake, and the insides looked like the one in the video. They were also marinated for months in alcohol, so I’m not sure if they were just a cake-shaped pudding. Nobody ever ate them though (except the person that cooked them) so they might be an acquired taste.

[@FoolOfATuque]

@@spacewolfcub they have them in Nova Scotia as well.

[@kme]

@@FoolOfATuque And Alberta. (I haven't seen them here in Saskatchewan, but as I only just got back a few weeks ago after being away in Europe for years, I haven't had a chance to look yet...)

[@DisabledUKPrepper]

Pretty much the recipe my family has used for a few generations. I took over making the pudding after my Grandmother died in the 1980's, and it got to the stage where I could eyeball the ingredients. My Grandmother taught me well.

[@gc6295]

Just wondering, what part of the country are you from?

[@darkcoeficient]

Have you passed down this to others?

[@nancybarnett2832]

I make it every year, I'm in Iowa. My kids don't care for it so my family tradition will probably die off.

[@jeffreycoulter4095]

Can you put your recipe here?

[@gc6295]

@@nancybarnett2832 kind of sad

[@iTyler888]

I just realized, this guy looks like the friendly version of Gordon Ramsay.

[@JohnMarkIsaacMadison]

Gordan Ramsay's chill little brother.

[@kellnola]

There's no one else to yell at ...

[@moncher2797]

I think he looks like David when he stands next to Ryan Goliath.

[@FirstLast-il6ok]

Say you’re a “trying your best” sandwich! “I’m a trying my best sandwich.” That’s right and I’m proud of you! - John 😂

[@ryugo7713]

@@iigalaxyii9928 lol you answered your own question

[@missflite74]

Made this on Christmas Day and it was DELICIOUS! My parents, who have disdained the very idea of plum pudding all their lives, asked for seconds and are still having it for dessert three nights later! My only modifications were to add 5 Tbsps brown sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. I found the batter a little bitter before adding the sugar, and the salt kicked everything up a notch! I felt just like Mrs. Cratchit! Thank you, John, and Merry Christmas to all!

[@tomasalexander2275]

My grandma used to make plum pudding for Thanksgiving and Christmas, she passed in 1995, miss her and her pudding's, Love you granny!

[@michellejoy6752]

It sounds as though the plum pudding was as important to Christmas as the pumpkin pie is to thanksgiving. To celebrate without it would be unthinkable.

[@TheUberdude187]

It still is in the UK.

[@jontalbot1]

It is. You get a sense of the occasion of Christmas as it is the one day of the year we are all equal and just glad to be together. I have had Christmas a couple of times in the Southern Hemisphere and it’s just weird. In Britain Christmas lasts a fortnight.

[@donmoore7785]

My family was involved in mince meat production in the late 1880's. Very common dessert.

[@sethcarson5212]

"so we don't NEED a whole half a nutmeg..... but.... Could you go wrong?" I think we all know how much nutmeg went into this pudding.

[@ms.chuckfu1088]

Yes. I put too much nutmeg in a batch of cookies I made as a teenager, and can’t really stand the smell or taste of it anymore. 😕 But I soak the currants/ raisins in brandy overnight, so you can guess how much brandy goes into my pudding. 🤣

[@elizabethparker3422]

NUtmeg has a very strong taste, be careful.

[@Parakeetfriend4215]

It's a good thing that I wasn't born in that time period. So much that I couldn't eat.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

@@elizabethparker3422 If you have a woody nut it is even worse because you are getting more wood and not as much of the oily veins. Small nutmegs are usually higher quality than large nutmegs because they haven't grown the excess yet.

[@sferris5316]

I saw your comment likes at 99 and I couldn’t let it just sit there…👍

[@79klkw]

Thank you sincerely, for sharing this! I have never actually seen plum pudding, only heard of it in Christmas songs, and I loved the process of watching you create it! I appreciate the history, and your comments are educational, as well. Stay well!

[@johnr5779]

He said “a finely woven cloth” and I was like “oh so like cheese cloth.” “NOT CHEESE CLOTH”

[@jamescaldwell2095]

My thoughts exactly. Almost felt like I was getting yelled at after. "Oh...well yeah. Who would use cheesecloth....." lol

[@dirtdiv3r]

Same

[@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888]

Thanks for sharing.

[@BritneyStinson]

That's what ya get fer thinkin

[@amberslilrose3954]

Because cheesecloth is very loosely woven....

[@smileyhappyradio]

Watching this show demonstrates how hard people worked, so we can never not be grateful after watching. Wow plum pudding, this is exciting!

[@carolinashepard2584]

I'm a frenchie living at the North of France, it's been decades that each years my mother cooks it, and I just love it.

[@panagea2007]

My family has made Plum Pudding since I was a child, but I've never met anyone else who has ever had one. It's made in a special metal canister and baked in the oven. I have inherited the canister, but haven't made my own yet. This year I will.

[@janetprice85]

My mother made a type of raisin filled cake in a coffee can she sealed and steamed in a pressure cooker.

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

I brought a plum pudding to a family Christmas Dinner years ago and only one person ate it. Yours truly.

[@79klkw]

That is awesome family history right here! I would recommend inviting someone from the next generation of your family to join the fun, when you do this, so you can keep the tradition going.

[@StickItUpYrBumGugle]

In the U.K. we say Christmas pudding these days, and we usually just buy it from the supermarket (sorry!).But, it's still the most popular Christmas Day desert. In fact, I still have the sound ringing in my ears of everybody in the room shouting at my dad "It's a video! Just put it down, it's not a photo! You'll burn your hands, dad! Put it down! Move! It's a video!"

[@zixvirzjghamn737]

oh a pudding bbasin, cool.

[@mango4ttwo635]

Still the most common dessert on British Christmas tables, although usually now called Christmas pudding. that brandy punch really reminds one it is Christmas

[@voivodvlad1]

O bring us some figgy pudding o bring us some figgy pudding!

[@donmoore7785]

Thank heavens it is still made in Britain - I have it shipped across the pond. Not made in the states anymore as far as I know.

[@voivodvlad1]

@@donmoore7785 my wife made some this Christmas and it was wonderful! We're making plans for next Christmas.

[@janetmackinnon3411]

In England.. Bon appetit!

[@johnthomas4790]

I absolutely love your stuff and appreciate you keeping the memories of 18th century people alive through their words and food!

[@arcticharecommand]

You have so much charisma, and so much passion for what you do and talk about. It's fantastic to see how much you put into your videos, thank you.

[@turkeywalker7046]

One of the earliest scientific models of the atom was the “plum pudding model,” where the electrons were flecked throughout the atom like raisons in the plum pudding.

[@andrewwebb917]

We still have to learn this for the English science exams, despite the fact it's proven false

[@Kiki-lc3ng]

My (Irish) grandma would make puddings in early January. With the addition of booze & brown sugar, they were perfectly fine once stored & tasted great months later. In fact, we ate her last one nearly 2 years after her death!

[@MackerelCat]

Yes they actually get better with age!

[@skeets6060]

Thank you, Mother use to make this every year when we were young, and made a hard sauce, the house smelled wonderful when it was done. Merry Xmas to Y'all

[@StirlingLighthouse]

My Grandmother (RIP) also made a hard sauce that had large sugar crystals and I remember it being slightly red coloured. It was delicious!! 😋

[@galerion]

@maelienydd brandy butter

[@sosteve9113]

Merry Christmas to the Townsends and everyone who reads this

[@catherinernersur2310]

Merry Christmas! 🎄

[@wtglb]

Merry Christmas to you and yours! ✝️🎄✨

[@Jacob-pl3ni]

Merry Christmas

[@nancypine9952]

And a Merry Christmas to you!

[@andystauffer1554]

Merry Christmas 🎄 to everyone out there 🎄

[@Ecksterphono]

Plum pudding. That's been a German delicacy in our family every Christmas for ages and still is. My mom has amazing recipes even handed down from great grandparents from back in the day.

[@13Luk6iul]

Wie heißt das auf Deutsch? :)

[@Ecksterphono]

@@13Luk6iul Rumtof Milch oder pflaumen pudding

[@13Luk6iul]

@@Ecksterphono danke!

[@nisar6339]

That’s suet pudding to my family. We’ve had it every Christmas since before I was born. It’s the best thing EVER!

[@artinaam]

Interestingly, the name 'currants' for small, black raisins has a medieval origin - in 14th-century cookbooks they are described as 'raysyns of courance' or 'courrantes', which meant 'from Corinth' - a city in Greece from which they were imported. Later the word turned into 'currants'.

[@cosme2169]

Amusingly enough, in French we still say "raisins de Corinthe"!

[@KairuHakubi]

holy crap I learned a thing. just like turkey-bird.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@cosme2169 Waiit a minute.. is.. is that where 'zante currants' comes from? that phrase even more corrupted? Because given how the french pronunciation would go..

[@joanhoffman3702]

Thanks! I always enjoy learning the odd fact here and there, the odder the better!😁

[@oldschoolcfi3833]

Currants are also an actual fruiting bush, the small berries are dried, they have red and black varieties. They aren't popular in the US, as the species brought over from Europe was a vector for a disease that attacked the white pine, a valuable lumber resource. This resulted in them being outlawed in much of the US, which is why we don't use them in any receipts, they became hard to get and expensive.

[@Pieces_Of_Eight]

I have admired that festive garland of airing orange slices for some time - mention of the candied orange peel was quick to draw a smile. A charming rendition of a storied dish, looking forward to trying my hand at this holiday delight!

[@Shanngab]

Really enjoying the music, the topic, and learning about Charles Dickens, my favorite author. Thank you for doing this wonderful Christmas segment

[@nahte123]

"By plums they mean currants, and by currants they mean tiny raisins..."

[@avariceseven9443]

and by tiny raisins they mean artificially created raisins made of chemicals that from laboratory that controls your mind.

[@SarahWelstead]

My understanding has always been that by 'raisins, stoned', they mean prunes - which of course are dried plums that end up looking like raisins, but the pits of which are more commonly referred to as 'stones'. Grape seeds (where they occur) were referred to as 'seeds', so you wouldn't refer to removing them as 'stoning' them.

[@SarahWelstead]

Okay, it looks like there were plums (prunes) in the Roman-era plum pudding that came before the English plum pudding - the prunes were eventually phased out but the name stuck.

[@nahte123]

Now that I think about it, there's figs, called plums, called prunes, called raisins, to add another layer...

[@RaspK]

The word "currant" is a corrupted form of the word "Corinth," the city of Κόρινθος, Greece, which is notable for producing one of the most noble raisin cultivars world-wide. The "black Corinthian raisin" (μαύρη κορινθιακή σταφίδα) is famous since antiquity, and one of the major ingredient in countless recipes. Eventually, the term "currant" became the most common way to refer to them in English-speaking countries, and then the term was broadened to refer to similar-looking plants (hence *_black_* currants and *_red_* currants).

[@Sprecherfuchs]

I'm surprised Christmas pudding is seen as so old-fashioned in the US. Here in England my family eat it every Christmas, usually with brandy butter. The one you made looks like a St. Stephen's pudding which is a slightly less rich variant than the standard one. After that we have Christmas cake and then wish we hadn't had two puddings in a row.

[@oldyeller6518]

See, as an American, what u just said made my head explode. What he just made looks good, but isn’t a pudding to me. And a cake certainly isn’t pudding either. So I’m thinking how can you have two puddings when u haven’t even had one yet??

[@Sprecherfuchs]

@@oldyeller6518 Lol, just replace pudding with dessert and you have the American translation

[@ninjacell2999]

@@oldyeller6518 pudding is something boiled or cooked in a case. So haggis and black pudding etc not necessarily sweet. But it became more and more associated with dessert as time went on

[@sminthian]

Anything boiled, or with suet, is a no-no in the USA.

[@kelliepatrick519]

@@ninjacell2999 That's interesting, I never knew that's what pudding meant. As an American, I had no idea what plum pudding is until now. I didn't know that's what suet is. We use that word to refer to a block of bird feed, probably bound together by fat? We have an old tradition called 'fruit cake', it's kinda similar Christmas concept, I suppose. It's a bit of a joke now because they tend to be hard and unappetizing.

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

The only pudding you intentionally set on fire

[@Just_Sara]

Speak for yourself 😂

[@wilfridwibblesworth2613]

I like how you put the word "intentionally" in there... But your enemies might still come around and set other puddings you've made on fire!

[@marcowen1506]

well... in French and British cuisine there was a long tradition of deliberately setting many desserts on fire. Sadly, flambee desserts are totally out of fashion

[@lyravain6304]

@Harry Upton Creme brulee isn't set on fire, it is charred with a blowtorch. Different approach.

[@AlRoderick]

Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee are considered a pudding depending on who you ask. Also some kind of flan flambe could be nice.

[@jeffbrewer8810]

Very interesting! I never knew what Plumb Pudding was. Incidentally A Christmas Carol is my favorite story. Merry Christmas to everyone at James Townsend and God bless us, everyone!

[@bonnsavant]

Plumb Pudding only for plumbers 👍

[@seikibrian8641]

* Plum pudding.

[@susaneva520eva9]

God bless us everyone

[@c2757]

@@bonnsavant They'll be able to TAP into the Christmas vibe and SINK a few.

[@bonnsavant]

@@c2757 👍😂🥴😂

[@bennewnham4497]

Woah, just one minute - "used to be popular" - we STILL eat this at Christmas in England all the time. Come to London and you will find stacks of these for sale. It's traditional and its time the colonies had them reintroduced. Hard.

[@Pixie3p14]

came here to say this but I see my fellow Brits have me covered lol

[@jeffbauer1609]

Look at me. You’re the colony now.

[@jbc_8110]

Yeah, no thanks. We fought a war to get away from your horrible food.

[@GodessSiri]

I'm in New Zealand and we still have Christmas Pud. I know Australia does too.

[@anthonyberent4611]

@@parabolicity Generally suet, although I believe one can get vegetarian, and even vegan, Christmas puddings. I don't know what they use in place of suet

[@clairewright8153]

Missed a few steps that my grandmother did, she was born in the late 1800’s we still to this day make them her way every year, died fruits are soaked in brandy for a week, less flour is used and fresh breadcrumbs are added. Lots more glacé cherries are used red green and yellow. Treacle and bicarb soda are used to give the pudding lightness and a richer taste. Pudding calico is boiled for a couple of minutes and placed on a clean tea towel and rung out it is then covered in flour and the flour is rubbed vigorously into the cloth and the excess shaken off. The cloth is then place over a bowl and the mix added to give it the shape. After boiling for 2. hours it is then hung in a cool and dark place to dry a bit and then store in a fridge or freeze for the next special occasion. If you hang the pudding to dry with as much cloth as he used, you will find that mold will grow and the pudding will spoil.

[@matthewc4590]

Yes exactly. A plum pudding should be able to be hung like a ham for extended periods (years) and needs good air circulation. I would also like to add that eggs and milk should not be used for a traditional plum pudding. They can be given as gifts for years later if done properly. I think this may even be why an 8 hour cooking process is mentioned in the video.

[@jameswoodard4304]

What y'all are talking about sounds like a related tradition to fruitcake. I know fruitcakes were a German tradition to begin with and that they were also intended to be able to be kept for long periods. I just assumed that puddings were meant to be served warm and fresh. Also, he is using an exact extant recipe from the 1700's, so you can't say, "he's doing it wrong." You can say, "You can also do it this way..." Maybe there were different recipes depending on whether you intended to serve it fresh or "keep" it.

[@steropeshu]

@@jameswoodard4304 Definitely different recipes. Even now there are differing recipes for something as simple as cream cheese mints. And back then I'm sure it was common to have a sort of "family twist" on the recipe.

[@relax9286]

That sounds the same how my grandma and mom made it. Mom always said it was a long process.

[@Barbarra63297]

Same here, my Grandma was born in 1880 and of Welsh ancestory, she always made this at Christmas. I liked it, it tasted like Christmas!

[@blackskeletor]

I have strong reason to believe that this is where fruitcakes come from

[@Upup2211]

That was my thought when he started putting in candied fruit chunks.

[@bride4jesus0126]

Exactly what I was thinking! The plum pudding is the ancestor of the fruitcake. One of the most amazing and popular ones is from Collin Street Bakery from Corsicana, Texas, USA 1896

[@Mike1614YT]

@@bride4jesus0126 you're right, Collin Street fruit cake is the best!

[@melanieharvey8445]

Fruit cakes are gross. Christmas pudding is AMAZING!

[@valeriejude1800]

Me, too!

[@sandrakisch3600]

I used to make this often about 50 to 60 years ago. I made it in a double boiler steaming it. You made my mouth water watching this. I made a lemon, butter, brown sugar, water and cornstarch sauce to pour over. This was great on Christmas cake as well.

[@maryannholderman6048]

My mother made it like this. We called it suet pudding. It was her grandmother’s recipe from the early 1900s.

[@davidashmore3929]

Happy Christmas Townsends gang. Love your pudding cooking. Really enjoyed your a Christmas Carol reading, and the show with Carol. Hopefully Ryan has a new pineapple.

[@mwnciboo]

In the UK this would be sometimes known as "Figgy Pudding" which is why it features in the Carol "We wish you a Merry Christmas"...I last had one in mid-1990's, when my Gran made her last one (she was born in the 1920's) I might look to make one just to keep the tradition alive as I have her recipe. We still have Christmas puddings but they aren't quite as a good as a proper home made one, made months before and dowsed in alcohol for months, then served with Custard, single cream.

[@Merloc909]

@mwnciboo - you should do that! Keeping family traditions alive is very important and gives generations down the line something to talk about and a sense of history to one's family!

[@SarahRavenclaw]

As someone who doesn’t drink, how much flavor of alcohol do these usually have? Would they still be good without it?

[@MRichK]

@@SarahRavenclaw If you are boiling it for 2+ hours any alcohol in the original is pretty much gone. Just don't add any to the after - use just sugar and cream or something like that.

[@fredbecker607]

@@MRichK the alcohol is put on after cooking. Fruitcake can be done the same way. Wrap in cloth and soak with rum. Repeat regularly for a month or more.

[@fredbecker607]

@@SarahRavenclaw it adds quite a bit of flavor but isn't required.

[@RandomTorok]

When I was a young boy, Christmas dinner was always followed by carrot pudding. A cup each of grated potato and carrots, a cup each of raisins, currents and flower. Some baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, milk and vanillia. And a single egg. This year I'll be making it in a pudding bowl. The bowl is a ceramic bowl that is placed inside a pot of boiling water.

[@KairuHakubi]

neat. is there an advantage over just baking it at that point?

[@donnar9864]

Nice...

[@Pixie3p14]

yup, I made my plum pudding in a pudding basin like that too

[@siramea]

this sounds great

[@siramea]

@@KairuHakubi its probably a matter of tradition and taste, pudding is stodgier and falls apart more than a cake, but that can be a good thing.

[@philipcarpenter1347]

Prolly been said a billion times before and if so, my apologies. A trick for the suet: freeze it hard, then you can chip it off and chop it and get the consistency you want/need. My family's recipe uses molasses and the pudding ends up darker but yeah: very special desert and one for everyone. TOTALLY worth the effort. Cheers and a wonderful season to all.

[@shadowstorm1928]

Very true. Yet take it further and run your frozen suet thru a grater attachment in your food processor 🎉

[@Survivethejive]

boiled pudding still popular here in UK

[@kuriboh635]

It has fallen out of popular consumption in American homes. We normally have fruit cake but even that is not super popular from what I've seen with my friends and family. Im very odd for enjoying fruit cake and eggnog. Just from what i have personally seen

[@Inconspicuous-Gnome]

@@kuriboh635 eggnog is amazing

[@raptorfae.6645]

We tend to either steam or microwave it these days though...

[@OrbitalDeathRay]

Happy Yule, StJ.

[@admiralackbar3615]

@@Inconspicuous-Gnome I LOVE eggnog

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

I remember my mother making plum pudding and Christmas cake in October and then feeding them rum every night for a few weeks.Thank you, I am having some good memories of childhood Christmases now.

[@tsmithkc]

Merry Christmas Townsends! You all mean much more to all of us than could ever be replaced by a mere pineapple of hospitality.

[@fmhummel]

With half the ingredients, it only takes about 50 minutes in a pressure cooker. The suet can be substituted with diced, frozen butter, if you have to.

[@zixvirzjghamn737]

I used bacon grease

[@katrussell6819]

Thank you for permission to use butter!

[@fmhummel]

@@katrussell6819 It doesn't work as well, that's what I mean.

[@alexmckee4683]

If you can't get suet, beef fat or high quality lard can be substitutes. They're not as good as suet but they don't affect the flavour as much as butter and don't make it buttery. Lard has a very neutral flavour so it won't affect the flavour or impart any kind of fat flavour to the pudding. Vegetable shortening is potentially an even better substitute for suet than beef fat or lard, but it tends to impart a very noticeable flavour in my experience. If it doesn't bother you, then use it because it will result in a pudding with a fluffier consistency than e.g. lard but real suet is the best choice for an authentic, open texture and neutral flavour.

[@fmhummel]

@@alexmckee4683 That sounds like I have to make three puddings this year. Provided I can get beef fat at all.

[@walterfechter8080]

I would like to dedicate this video in very loving memory of my heavenly-resplendent grandmother.

[@nancypine9952]

One of my relatives earned a good deal of money when he was in high school by baking bread and making plum puddings for people. We always had one at Christmas, and we served ours with hard sauce, which is basically butter, sugar, and whiskey or brandy or some other kind of liquor.

[@GreatScot0425]

This brings back memories of my grandmother and mother making this every Christmas. Unfortunately, they did not pass down their skill to me. But now I have the opportunity, because of you, to learn to make this traditional family Christmas dessert. Thank you!

[@georgebryant6103]

From A Christmas Carol "If I could work my will, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, should be boiled in his own pudding, and buried with a stake of Holly through his heart." Ebenezer Scrooge. My favorite Christmas story about a true change of heart. This was a great video by the way. Some of the diet during the Victorian times was so interesting. I think they often cooked a goose too, instead of a Turkey.

[@joshuagross3151]

Something that should be brought back is a number of the mixed holiday drinks, like hot spiced wine, warm maple mead and Smoked Bishops.

[@Orwic1]

Goose - my grandmother, born in Victoria’s last years, always had a goose at Christmas. I barely remember her, but I’ve been told this was on her Christmas menu - and the plum pudding!

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

@@joshuagross3151 Don't forget Tom and Jerry.

[@kevinconrad6156]

Queen Victoria sent a plum pudding to each of her relatives across Europe every Christmas.

[@ZebraMetal]

Look at John there flexing his wealth with his 2 pineapples

[@JS-yk6en]

“This seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Yep, we’re going to put ‘em all in there-boop!” 😆

[@glitchvomit]

that moment was so cute! it made me so happy.

[@kimhathaway3410]

I Know! I thought the same thing :) So Fun!!

[@charlespratt8663]

I still make one every year off my grannys recipe. Either a bowl pudding or a cloutie pudding.( Steamed in a cloth). I prefer the bowl as it has been in use for almost 100 years.

[@chicagorandy]

A most Merry Christmas good sir, to you and yours.... in keeping with the Season. I shall have my plum pudding after my Christmas roast duck this Friday.

[@TheTamrock2007]

Thank you, crazy times we're all in. Was looking for something special for Thanksgiving. I realize this was for Christmas but I think this just might make our simple Thanksgiving something magical. We need magical right now.

[@CountSpiffula]

Nutmeg is like Lebowski's rug, man. It ties the whole recipe together...

[@calebleland8390]

Nutmeg, Dude.

[@decemberschild1504]

@@calebleland8390 Yes!

[@korybeckwith834]

Ill have a White Russian with that.

[@deekim8164]

You want a nutmeg? I can get you a nutmeg, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.

[@mr.turnerx7615]

Thank you so much for your channel . In this sick and twisted world it’s great to have excellent shows like yours. God bless and merry Christmas!

[@themermaidstale5008]

I saw the soul of the pudding leave after it was unwrapped.

[@TurtleChad1]

A hungry turtle approved this beautiful video.

[@2intheampm512]

Dang you’re everywhere

[@toyotaprius79]

@@2intheampm512 that would be nice irl

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

Hello Justin Y 2

[@michelejay9426]

I remember my grandmother making her plum puddings in October, so that they were ripe for Christmas. She learnt to cook them with silver coins in them, originally, until it was deemed unsafe by society. She always mentioned the omission as she made the puddings. Still part of the recipe that she learnt. Lovely to think of our ancestors hands when we perpetuate these foods.

[@bradleynoneofyourbizz5341]

My mom always put an old English coin in her plum pudding. Whoever was served it supposedly would have good luck for the next year. Which was true as evidenced by the fact that you hadn't choked to death on the coin!

[@karenlipshin1585]

Yes. Traditions. Lovely!✨

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

It's interesting to compare this recipe to the Christmas pudding on the English Heritage channel. They use no milk. The dry ingredients include breadcrumbs, not just flour. They use whole eggs, not the combo of yolks & whites. They add a fresh apple diced.

[@JH-pp3kr]

The pineapple made its way to England in the 17th century and by the 18th century, being seen with one was an instant indicator of wealth - a single pineapple could cost the equivalent of $8,000 today.

[@amandamiller304]

JT people rented them for a big occasion , you did not get to eat them unless you were mega rich

[@u.s.militia7682]

My grandfather used to make these and hang them in an shed beside his grapevines during winter. Every so often he’d sprinkle them with brandy. We kids were never allowed to have any but we’d always manage to get our hands on some of the bourbon balls he’d make.

[@coyotejohn3101]

Bourbon balls are amazing

[@u.s.militia7682]

CoyoteJohn they are but I’ve not had one in years. The things you want as a child but don’t do when you’re an adult has to be a crazy list.

[@looksirdroids9134]

Your grandfather should have been arrested for suppling alcohol to children.

[@darkcoeficient]

@@looksirdroids9134 supplying? They went out of their way to get it. Their gramps didn't give it to them.

[@ghughesarch]

Grnadpa's Bourbon Balls? Yeah.... riiiight.

[@EvanOutdoors]

My Grandfather used to make a heap of these each year! I remember them as a kid many years ago, all wrapped in the cloth hanging up. Thanks John. All the best!

[@corwinmakes]

As a student of physics, you inevitably learn about the plum pudding model of the atom. J.J. Thompson proposed this model in 1904, and used to it explain the structure of the atom as a positively charged pudding with negatively charged electrons dispersed throughout. Its nice to finally know what the heck an actual plum pudding is!

[@katiestevens8640]

Thank you for this interesting comment! Fun to know! Merry Christmas!

[@alitlweird]

Don’t have five hours? -Use ye olde insta-pot.

[@carmenhorton8066]

Good one!

[@kimstuff2086]

First thing Chrismas morning mum always used to put the pudding in the slow cooker. It would be cooking all through christmas morning and be perfect in time for dinner

[@mahnamahna3252]

🤣

[@EuniceFields___]

🤣

[@ARTSIEBECCA]

🤣🤣🤣

[@SandManEXP]

"WAS popular"??? "WAS a christmas desert"??? We still have this in England at christmas!

[@Questchaun]

We anit in england mate.

[@waynebye1305]

We still had it when I lived in Canada too.

[@shotgunbettygaming]

Yeah, even as a fellow American to this gent and also understanding that this channel highlights early American Historia, I'm a little surprised he went at it as if it's not made with regularity in places such as the U.K. It's how the recipe crossed the pond. A Brit brought it with when they Mayflowered over😂! Even if it's an Early American channel, something as simple as a footnote at the wrap up would be gracious. "Oh, and they still eat it in the U.K.! I wonder how the modern recipe varies today. Thanks for watching!" To me that's part of the fun of period foods. Learning where 'our' dishes originated, how they've modernized or disappeared from our tables (such as plum pudding). History is a rabbit hole to fall down for sure😀👍!

[@karentucker2161]

But not the states....

[@mrdanforth3744]

@@shotgunbettygaming It's common when he does an 18th century recipe that is it still being made in the UK or elsewhere in the old British empire. Jon wouldn't necessarily know that since he has not traveled outside the US.

[@theorangevestarmy4255]

Thank you for the amount of research you've put into this Holiday treat, much appreciated & we will certainly be making this come Christmas time!

[@andrewallason4530]

Still VERY common here in Australia. You can buy them in every supermarket, and certain charities sell them as fundraisers. We also are very much into Christmas cakes which are similar, but baked several months in advance, and allowed to ‘mature’, and often iced with a marzipan icing. I buy them cheap after Christmas, and inject brandy through their plastic wrapping, taping over the holes, then store them to give the following Christmas. Very tasty.

[@fishingpro64]

That sounds fantastic! Cheers to you!

[@marywebb1138]

What a great idea. I'll be looking for fruitcake on sale

[@Agapy8888]

Christmas Cake in Cyprus.

[@peterfriswell2875]

We’ve just made ours and the Christmas cake. We haven’t done one in a cloth for years, we use a pudding basin instead to steam it in. The basin is covered with baking paper and foil.

[@johnracine4589]

Always room for pud mate.

[@stephengardiner9867]

Originally, a "pudding" was quite literally any dish that was cooked in a casing (be it cloth or intestine or...). Rabbie Burns declared the Haggis to be "great chieftain o' the puddin' race" and it is traditionally cooked in a deer's (or most usually sheep's) stomach. The FDA in the US disapproves of that (and some of the ingredients). A sausage, in its casing, can be considered a type of "pudding" (hence the rather British "blood pudding"). It almost sounds like a Klingon dish that Worf would have for breakfast! These are all a far cry from what "pudding" became (unusually brightly colored "goop" in a little glass cup, and served as dessert).

[@Pixie3p14]

Yes, I was very confused the first time I visited America, that pudding was something quite different over there!

[@TomoyoTatar]

😐 I eat blood sausage here regularly....I buy it in a polish store...?

[@Silverwind87]

So plum pudding was like the transitory state between pudding as a savory dish and pudding as a dessert?

[@Calum_S]

In some Scottish chip shops you can still hear people calling it a haggis pudding.

[@stephengardiner9867]

@@TomoyoTatar I have no doubt that many other cultures had similar dishes, as you ate every part of a beast that was fit to eat (waste not, want not). Blood pudding may have originated elsewhere a very long time ago and was introduced to Britain. It is probably best known nowadays as "British" but that may just be a generally accepted notion that is actually a misconception. Perhaps a Roman mercenary was a bit peckish for a dish from "back home" and convinced a Briton to whip up a batch. The rest would be, as we say, "history"!

[@stevemartin4863]

In Atlantic Canada in many house holds this is still very much a Christmas tradition. My In-Laws have it just about every year. Often times they will buy it from a craft fair. It comes in a re-used tin can then steamed on the stove top and covering it in a brown sugar sauce. I think I might make this one this year though. :D

[@fayewhite7541]

I am from PEI. My husband is one who bakes numerous plum puddings for orders, gifts & us. He used to bake them in tins but now has a collection of proper plum pudding pans. It wouldn’t be Christmas without our plum pudding.

[@stevemartin4863]

@@fayewhite7541 I too am from PEI. There is a good chance my Mother-in-Law might have purchased his Plum Pudding! Always a treat!

[@fayewhite7541]

@@stevemartin4863, that is possible. I don’t know who your MIL is but I found your Facebook page. We have one mutual friend that just happens to be my daughter lol

[@avidkites]

YES, yesterday i was blessed with a Tasting History video. Now i got a Townsends video. So far the holidays are lookin good

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

In Scotland we call this pudding “Clootie Dumpling”. It is, or was, served as an alternative to, or in addition to, Birthday Cake at parties, with small coins or charms. The left overs are spectacularly good fried and served as part of the traditional Scottish Fried Breakfast. Yes. Even though it is, nowadays, thought of as a dessert, it works really well with eggs, bacon, sausage… now where did I put my cloot? (BTW “Cloot” is the Lowland Scots word for “Cloth”.) thank you for demystifying the Plum Pudding, but I still prefer to think of it as a clootie dumpling!

[@DocBree13]

❤

[@Sheila-ph6js]

This is not clootie dumpling! This is Christmas Pudding, only eaten on Christmas Day

[@Sheila-ph6js]

Clootie dumpling is plainer and eaten any day

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

@@Sheila-ph6js call it what you will, it is, basically the same thing. A pudding is made in a cloot, or in a pudding basin. Christmas Pudding is naught but a dressed up clootie dumpling. That, however is only my opinion. I love steamed pud, sweet or savoury, by any name.

[@kimstuff2086]

Here in the UK even today - Christmas is just not Christmas without the pud.

[@000AllLitUp000]

Always room for a little pud

[@druidinary]

Australia too. Plum pud and custard.

[@peterdunlop7691]

@@druidinary Xmas pud and custard in my household too, but we have it on Boxing Day as I find it a little heavy after Xmas day dinner.

[@nathan5295]

@@druidinary oh you didn't say there was custard

[@whipcream345]

This is still a hugely popular tradition in the UK, can't say i really care for the taste but Christmas wouldnt be the same without it!

[@shadowsinvortex7990]

We have a tradition within my family here in England where we all get together at one of the family members home and do a Christmas pudding stir up party- all bringing enough of certain ingredients and sharing them out to make our Christmas puddings. Our recipe differs a bit from yours and includes other constituents also but the principle is the same. We boil ours in ceramic pudding basins though rather than cloth- makes for less mess. Also find that after cooking it, if you soak your pudding in your favourite booze and leave it in its basin all wrapped up in a cool dry place , occasionally topping up the alcohol every now and then for a few months it tastes even better by Christmas! I once had a pudding that was soaking in whiskey for most of a year and it was simply amazing! The booze kept it from going off and by the time Christmas came around, that thing needed very little brandy on top to set it on fire! Lol very interesting to see where the Christmas pudding my family make originated!

[@amiethompson6062]

Thanks- that was a question, don’t they need to sit for a while

[@jontalbot1]

You can pull the same trick with Guinness cake. Bake a fruit cake, cover and put in the fridge. Add a little bit of Guinness every day. You end up with a very heavy moist cake and get to drink a lot of Guinness

[@carbon1479]

Now I understand why I've heard the analogy of old fashion models of atomic nuclei being 'raisins in plum pudding', and thinking - wth are raisins doing in plum pudding? Makes more sense now.

[@LandSayGo]

I love this channel. Mr. Townsend is always so excited and the entire channel is just so wholesome.

[@paulaneary7877]

Something about this guy is just endearing and adorable. Maybe I have a thing about guys that can cook. He's just cute to me, then when he put the currants in he said "boop" and I was in love. I know his outfit is probably supposed to be some kind of serious cooking uniform, but it just looks like he is some kind of adorable cooking elf, making plum pudding at the holiday season. So cute.

[@josephwilliams1915]

If it makes anything better, this is pretty much how he dresses in all of his videos

[@heatherngillis]

It's just normal 18th century men's clothing. Townsend's is the best cooking show!

[@bethotoole6569]

He kinda reminds me of Fred Rogers… and that’s a compliment!!

[@jaycorby]

Paula Neary...get his number, he'd probably love hearing from you! Or, run like hell!!!! Urrrp...cooking elf indeed. LOL LOL

[@pattyconley4096]

@@jaycorby 😂😂🤣

[@jamescardwell2986]

I remember my Now late Grandmother making this on Christmas. She was English and German, she was very proud of her English Heritage. She would fix the pudding, minced meat pies and then you had the German Deserts mixed in and Some Short Bread because my Grandfather was of Scottish Decent. Thanks for the memories.

[@fournierdon2172]

This is what is known in Scotland as a 'Clootie Dumpling'. 'Clootie' is Scots for the cloth which holds and moulds this while its being cooked. My mother used to make this when I was growing up in Glasgow. My wife has made it to my mother's recipe a couple of times but not recently. To be fair I might find it a little on the rich side nowadays, but back then? Delicious and so filling!

[@drmoss_ca]

A bone of contention in my household as a kid, as my Durham mother called it a cloutie pudding, and my mates in Wiltshire where we lived called it figgy pudding or figgy duff. No figs of course, they meant raisins. Later in life I discovered a bread pudding made with pumpernickel and lots of raisins is a lot easier and tastes almost exactly the same!

[@fournierdon2172]

@@drmoss_ca One of the abiding qualities of a Clootie Dumpling was the richness provided by the suet. The whole thing was a glistening mass. Cannot imagine your pumpernickel bread pudding having that, but I don't know what else might have been in the mix.

[@maxinejacobson4006]

Love Clootie Dumpling although I haven’t tasted it for years. Grandma used to put silver thrupnies, tiny china dolls etc., at Christmas. Memories ❤.