Victorian-American Christmas Figgy (or Plum) Pudding Recipes by Kristin Holt

by Kristin Holt

USA Today Bestselling- and RONE Award Winning-Author

Christmas is around the corner, again, and I'm reminded of those family recipes whose aromas evoke myriad memories of holidays gone by. My living grandmother will be 100 on her next birthday. She still made her famous Christmas Pudding (essentially Plum Pudding) every year until she hit age 90. I still miss its one-of-a-kind flavor... a treat so rich it needed the whipping cream to cut the hard sauce and "pudding" (cake).

Today I want to share a handful of vintage recipes for English Plum Pudding, Fig Pudding, and other Christmas pudding delicacies. Sources are listed in publication order, and citations are noted in image footers or quotation block final lines. All were published in the United States, and all were originally presented in the late-nineteenth century.

1885:

 

English Plum Pudding, 1885, The Homemade Cook Book.

1889:

Fig Pudding Recipe, pp164-165: The Every-Day Cook-Book and Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts (1889).

1890:

Christmas Plum Pudding and two sauce recipes, published in 1890 by Improvement Society of the Second Reformed Church of New Brunswick, New Jersey.

 1892:

Two Plum Pudding Recipes from The Columbian Cook Book Containing Reliable Rules for Plain and Fancy Cooking. Published 1892.

 1895:

 

Fig Pudding, 1895, Three Hundred Tested Recipes.

 

Christmas Plum Pudding from The Boston Globe, Boston, Mass., December 15, 1895.

 1903:

Fig Pudding Recipe, published 1903 in Kentucky Receipt Book by Mary Harris Frazier.

Invitation:

After a peek at these vintage recipes, what do you think? Did ingredients or cooking methods surprise you? How about the length of boiling time to prepare the pudding?

Do you have a vintage family-heirloom recipe for Christmas pudding? Have you tasted Victorian-era or Edwardian-era "figgy pudding"? Please tell us about it. (Scroll down to the "conversation" fields.)

Related Articles:

Click on any blog article header image, to open the related article's page. You're invited to take a peek at more related history!

 

 

 

by Kristin Holt

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P.S. thanks for reading! We'd love to hear from you. "Conversation" is the best part! (See the comment box, below.)

Copyright ⓒ 2019 Kristin Holt LC

History of the Christmas Card!

Hi, Kit Morgan here and today I want to talk about Christmas cards!
Did you know that the custom of sending Christmas cards was started in the UK? Yep, a gentleman by the name of Sir Henry Cole got the whole thing going back in 1843. He also happened to be a senior civil servant who helped set up a little thing called the "Public Record Office," what we now call the Post Office. He was an Assistant Record Keeper and got to thinking, "How can this be used by ordinary folk?"


So he got together with his good friend John

Horsley, an artist, and the two of them dreamed up the first Christmas card and sold them for a shilling each. That's about eight cents today. Not bad considering it was a three-paneled card. The outer panels had pictures of folks caring for the poor. The middle panel was a family enjoying a large Christmas dinner. Of course, not all were thrilled with the duo's card as the dinner Horsley created showed a child being given a glass of wine. That definitely wouldn't go over nowadays either!

By the time folks were flooding west here in America, the popularity of Christmas cards was in full swing. Some thought it was just a thing that would fall out of fashion and get dropped like a hot potato. But no, the Christmas card endured. In fact, by 1860 they replaced the ever-popular Happy New Year's card. Yes, that was a thing. Valentine cards were around back then too and soon fell out of fashion for the platonic groups and was reserved for romance. Thus, the Christmas card became the primary way to send a quick note to friends, family, and acquaintances.

A man named Marcus Ward was the first stationer to really sink his teeth into the trend and brought in two designers to help him out. Walter Crane and Kate Greenway. In the 1860s and 1870s other elements of Christmas cards were the use of intricate botanicals with lettering in botanicals and other fancy artwork. Some even came in the form of eight-page booklets!
So now you can imagine a cowboy sending his mom a Christmas card during the holidays in some small town he and other cowboys might be wintering near. A card was perhaps more special back then than it is today.
Until next time!
Kit

Historic Seven-Year Texas Drought

From 1950 until 1957, the first seven years of my life, Texas experienced a devastating stretch of seven long years with severely deficient rainfall—thirty to fifty percent less than average.

With the drought came the second, third, and eighth-driest single years since the Weather Bureau began keeping records in 1888—1956, 1954, and 1951, respectively. drought

Now, it’s my personal opinion—since I lived through it—the event shouldn’t be counted as history. I find it hard to believe I’m historic!

However, for the purposes of writing historical novels, anything happening right up to the Vietnam war is included by the powers that be. Whoever they might be.

The loss of rain devastated the state’s economy and changed lives, especially in the rural areas where ranchers and farmers were so greatly affected.

Cattlemen sold off their stock or moved them north to Kansas as watering ponds, lakes, and rivers dried up and feed prices soared while that of beef dropped by two-thirds from fifteen cents a pound to only a nickel.

And of course, they’d overgrazed the pastures, encouraging the growth of the unwanted cedar and mesquite trees. Scorching winds carried the topsoil away, causing dust storms that rivaled those during the Great Dust Bowl.

Over a HUNDRED THOUSAND Texas ranchers went out of business and moved to town.

Farmers didn’t fare any better. In 1940, almost thirty percent of the population worked on a farm. That number fell to twelve percent by the 1960 census.

Harvests shriveled, showing great losses when in some areas the crop yield dropped as much as fifty percent. The unprecedented agriculture economic losses exceeded even the earlier Great Dust Bowl’s.

And towns didn’t go unaffected. Some thousand communities strictly enforced water restrictions with many going completely dry and forced to haul water in by truck or train.

Dallas, the hardest-hit large city, reservoirs got so low, they pumped water from the Red River that damaged pipes due to its high salt content.

The drought spurred Texas’ modern “water planning” era that prompted the creation of artificial lakes across the Lone Star State.

From 1950 through 1957, losses were estimated to be over twenty-two billion in 2011 dollars. Funny how little it affected me. All I remember of it is the flood that ended it when it rained and rained, and the rain almost came into our house. It flooded the halls of Letot Elementary in Dallas.

Mama didn’t know when she took me to school that day. I remember walking through the halls in about six inches of water, and one basement classroom had filled with water completely.

(No second-grade class was held that day and for a few to come after! This photo was when I was in the first grade at Letot.)       

Temperatures soared over a blistering one hundred degrees for over eighty days straight in some areas. By 1956, ten states around Texas were also affected.

In the form of prophecy, this drought plays a part in one of my novels, SON OF PROMISE, the third ‘Companion Book’ to my Texas Romance Family Saga series, when God warns Travis Buckmeyer (third-generation from Henry in book one, VOW UNBROKEN) that it’s coming.

He sells off most of his cattle while the prices are still high and goes into the well-digging business.

I’ve made SON OF PROMISE FREE today for my readers! Just click "SON OF PROMISE FREE" to go claim your copy. I hope you enjoy it and would surely appreciate a review!

Here’s what one reviewer said about THE SON OF PROMISE:

  “This story shows that the love of God within can overcome all obstacles. Your past does not determine your future.  Such a gentle story of faith, love, forgiveness, and yielding the sinful man to a higher power.” –Judy Schexnayder

I fell in love with Cody Buckmeyer, the 'secret-revealed' son of Travis from a one-night stand that happened even before he met Emma Lee Harris and married her (in CHIEF OF SINNERS, book ten of the Texas Romance Family Saga series).

It's a sweet coming of age story with horses, goats, and Great Pyrenees guardians!

Bio: Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and a quick scroll through her novels’ ratings by Christian readers attests to the Father’s faithfulness. She loves writing several genres (FORTY-EIGHT published and counting) almost as much as singing the new songs He gives her—look her up on YouTube to hear a few.

Her high school sweetheart husband won her heart fifty-one years ago, and now they share four children and eighteen grandsugars. Ron and Caryl live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

Website   Amazon   BookBub   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest

Caryl's Published Christian Titles 

Historical & Contemporary Romance, Biblical fiction, Mid-grade and YA, and Non-fiction   

     

Christmas Traditions in the South by Abagail Eldan

My family has deep farming roots. Almost all of my ancestors farmed the land and were not among the rich. Tracing my family roots, I've discovered most of my ancestors immigrated from England in the 1600s. From there, my family line moved into North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and finally settled in South Alabama.

In the early days of settlement in Alabama, Christmas traditions were much different, including the shooting of guns and visits to neighbors demanding Christmas Eve gifts, specifically the sharing of alcoholic beverages. Those who may never have imbibed the rest of the year did not think it amiss to enjoy a nip on Christmas Eve (and many partook of more than a nip). 

This tradition comes from wassailing, a tradition many of us are only familiar with due to this song:

Here we come a-Wassailing

Among the leaves so green,

Here we come a wandering,

So fairly to be seen.

Here we come a wandering

So fairly to be seen.

Love and joy come to you

And to you a Wassail too

God bless you and send you,

A Happy New Year

God send you a Happy New Year.

We are not daily beggars

That beg from door to door,

But we're the neighbours' children,

That you have seen before.

We're the neighbours' children

That you have seen before.

Love and joy come to you,

And to you a Wassail too,

God bless you and send you,

A Happy New Year,

God send you a Happy New Year.

There are other verses to the song and this next part gives us an idea of where the Christmas Eve gift tradition derived:

I have a little purse

It's made of leather skin.

I need a silver sixpence,

To line it well within.

I need a silver sixpence,

To line it well within.

In England, the commoners often gathered at the homes of the nobility to ask for money on Christmas Eve. 

According to Wassailing and Mumming,

In parts of England (such as Somerset and Sussex) where apples are grown, especially for cider, Wassailing still takes place on Twelfth Night (or sometimes New Year's Eve or even Christmas Eve). People go into apple orchards and then sing songs, make loud noises and dance around to scare of any evil spirits and also to 'wake up' the trees so they will give a good crop!

It's also common to place toast which has been soaked in beer into the bows of the trees to feed and thank the trees for giving apples. That's where the term to 'toast' someone with a drink comes from!

This, then, is where the traditions of the South had its roots, in pagan tradition. The drinking and revelry (shooting of the guns) were intended to wake up the trees in order to produce good crops. Of course, by the time this was happening in the Deep South, the origins had been forgotten. Even today, Alabama ranks number one in the sale of fireworks for the Christmas Season. We're still "waking up" the plants to produce good crops! 

The asking for a Christmas Eve gift has mostly gone by the wayside. In the early years of the settlement of Alabama, almost all folks were poor. The tradition developed of filling pockets with treats of nuts and small candies. When neighbors and families met one another on Christmas Eve, the first person to say "Christmas Eve gift!" would have to be given one of the other person's treats. 

And speaking of treats, I have a new book up for pre-order, Brokken Promises.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08289T4NT

It's due out on December 17th so be watching for that!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Traditions

 Christmas Traditions in the Old West

  Christmas in the Old West was quite a bit different than east of the Mississippi. For one, things were a bit harder to keep up with the tradition and customs many were accustomed to before they moved westward. Being away from the festivities that normally enraptured the cities and towns along the east coast, life was harder for the pioneers and cowboys. 

It was still a time of celebration of the holiday, but perhaps in a more modest way. Humble fare and homemade gifts were more common in the west than anywhere else. Blizzards and terrible winds plagued the prairies. In the mountains, winter storms with below freezing weather kept most folks at home, away from their jobs.

 To say they were modest this time of year is true. But even with the winter weather all around, the holiday celebrated throughout the land would always be celebrated somehow. Many roasted venison since there was plenty to be had. Even mince pie, which was traditionally a status of wealth, was made in the west using venison.

Christmas to the pioneers was a day of being able to forget for a moment how harsh life was in the Old West. 

Decorations back then were simple. Many postcards today show pictures of fruits on the mantles depicting the pioneers would decorate with them. This was far from the real truth. Fruits were a delicacy and would never be treated as decor. Instead, many used garland, holy, ivy, moutain laurel and mistletoe to decorate. In many homes it was a tradition to decorate on Christmas Eve 

Christmas trees were easy to find if you wanted one. All you needed was an ax and a strong arm to cut one down. Back then there were no laws, but most people knew if the wood was scarce in one area, they would not cut a tree down for decorating. Many pioneer women made gingerbread men and dough ornaments, along with stringing popcorn. 

The idea of feasting on Christmas day was in everyone's hearts. Preserved fruits and vegetables, fresh game, ham or maybe a turkey was roasted for the event. There was baking done weeks ahead of time, just like today, except they were not able to buy pastries like we can. 

What kind of gifts were found under the Christmas tree or in a stocking? Mainly homemade like a doll made from corn husks or small sachets with lavender or rose scents. Carved wooden toys were a favorite for boys along with embroidered hankies, knitted scarves and mittens and socks. Sometimes, candies or a penny was placed in a child's sock. Usually that was a sign the family had a good year. 

In the old west, like in my book Viola, a small mountain town like Angel Creek may find the townsfolk gathering to sing carols on Christmas eve. Going from door to door, the intent was to spread cheer to others. O Christmas day, church was a tradition, while others visited with family and friends.

A Southern Belle looking for peace after the war - An outlaw turned rancher, determined to start over - Can two people from opposite worlds find happiness together in Angel Creek this Christmas?

Viola Destine followed her friends to Angel Creek, Montana, only to be robbed on the stage. When a hero comes along and saves her, she has no plans to allow the outlaws to get away with stealing her possessions.

When the stage is late, Simon Clayton needs to find out why. What he finds is a dead stage driver and a Southern Belle, but the box he is expecting is gone. Determined to get his property back, he never expects the belle to follow him into danger. Or, to fall in love with someone like Viola.

In the end, will it take a Christmas miracle to change the course of their paths?

Viola - Angel Creek Christmas Bride

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