Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Dec 23, 2012 by lovelypantry

Any major holiday has me homesick. Not even so much missing Jamaica, but missing my family. I haven’t spent a Christmas in Jamaica in a decade. I’ll  have to work on fixing that in years to come. Aside from the family gatherings, and holiday parties, I always look forward to the food. YES! The food!! 🙂 The theme for today’s #SundaySupper is Holidays, Heritage and Traditions. Our wonderful host is Bea from Galactopdx. You’ll love the wonderful recipes being shared today!

Christmas time has always been a special time for families. Children get excited about gifts and everyone gets into the holiday spirit of giving. People also get into the kitchen and throw down! Yes, Christmas food is wonderfully made and is often done with much preparation. On Christmas Day, after church, we usually enjoy a big brunch – my Mom makes the BEST Ackee & Saltfish and Fried Dumplings ever. One of these days I’m going to try my hand at making fried Dumplings. Fried Breadfruit is another favourite thing to add to the list. Dinner is everything from Roast Beef, Ham, Roast Chicken, Smoked Chicken, Potato Salad, Moms special sweet and sour pork (this was only made at Christmas because Dad doesn’t eat pork. This was our time to experience it since we were almost pork-free {Bacon stays!}). Gungo Rice and Peas (Rice & Peas using Gungo Peas instead of Red Kidney Beans) is a must! Then there’s Rum Punch and Sorrel to wash it all down! To end the feast, look out for desserts like Sweet Potato Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cornmeal Pudding, and of course…Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake.

 

 

 

As I was mixing the batter, I had fond memories of my Dad’s baking. This was just like home. The wonderful aroma…me watching my father cut up the prunes, soaking all the fruits. And then baking day came. Our house smelled wonderful!

It smelled like Christmas 🙂

 

 

The original recipe called for additional items like dates, cherries, mixed peel and nuts. As a youngster, I remember not liking these things in christmas cake. I really do have a thing for texture. I can totally see why my kids are fussy with their food. It’s all my fault and I’m totally okay with that ~ sometimes. Since I was essentially making this to my liking, I just used the fruits I prefer. I bought a special jar just for soaking my fruits. Did you know that some people have their fruits soaking for months in advance in preparation for Christmas baking? We don’t play around when it comes to Christmas Cakes and Puddings.

 

 

Dad was the baker in the household so he always had Christmas cake to offer whenever friends stopped by or to give away. He doesn’t bake as much anymore, but was able to give me a few tips to help me along. Dad reminded me that blending the fruits before adding to the batter, gave the pudding a much nicer consistency. So that is exactly what I did. There will still be fruits left over to make another cake 🙂

 

 

For the pan, I knew that I had to make the seal tight. I lined a baking tray with foil first. I then placed the bottom of the spring form pan on the baking sheet, then covered it with 2 layers of parchment paper. I then sealed the ring to the base so that the parchment was lining the pan and also allowed for it to be tight-fitting at the base so the batter couldn’t leak out. I hope I explained that properly. Here’s what I did!

 

 

Okay – So the recipe said to use a 9-inch pan. I wasn’t sure how much the pudding was going to rise and I didn’t want it to overflow. So I put 3/4 of the batter into the 9 inch spring form pan and the remainder in 9-inch square pan. Worked out perfectly. I baked the smaller cake for 2 hours. The next time I make this pudding, I will use a 10-inch pan instead. The pudding itself does rise, but as it cools it reduces. I wasn’t able to take a photo of it when it was almost at the top. I’ll know what to expect next time.

This was my first time steaming a pudding. This is essentially the difference between a pudding and a cake. The pudding has the boiling water directly underneath the batter in the oven, whereas this is omitted when baking the cake. Now I will definitely have to bake the cake and document the difference in texture and density.

 

 

The cake was still warm when I took the photos, but when the pudding was cooled, I put it back in the cake pan and added some rum. This will change the texture on the top just a little. Christmas cake/pudding tastes better after a few days, so let the rum work its magic.

 

 

This is certainly a slice of Jamaican perfection. It was so good ~ just like this.

 

 

But this is a Christmas Pudding.

We have to have both bells AND whistles. So I added an optional garnish for this awesome pudding. You have to sit down though, to eat it with the special treat.

It’s so good, it will make your knees tremble.

 

 

Enid’s Christmas Pudding Recipe had an optional sauce to add to this already delicious treat. It’s very simple to make, and very easy to enjoy. I made one very slight change. (Lyn, you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you??) I don’t like too much nutmeg. So I used allspice instead.

 ***

Hot Wine Sauce

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup Red Label Wine

1/2 Tsp Allspice

In a saucepan, add wine and sugar over a low heat. Stir to combine. Add allspice and butter. Stir until fully combined, and pour over the cake – or individual slices.

***

 

I swear, this pudding alone is like 40 minutes on the treadmill. But ’tis the season to be jolly… so keep the slices modest and don’t sit still for too long this holiday season! I hope you enjoyed my post today.

From my family to yours, Have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season! I will be back after Christmas so take care of you!

 

Here are the wonderful recipes being shared by the #SundaySupper Family!

 

Breakfast
– Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
– Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
– Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
– Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks
– Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
– Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes}by Kimchi Mom
– Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.
– Roasted Chestnuts by Curious Cuisiniere

Sides
– Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} byGalactopdx
– Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
– Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
– Lightened up Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes by Real Nutrition
– Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina

Main Dishes
– Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
– Christmas Eve Pizza & Martinis by The Webicurian
– Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
– West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
– Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale chips
– Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
– Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
– Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by The Family Foodie
– Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
– New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
– Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less
– Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic
– Red Chile Pork Tamales by Home Cooking Memories

Desserts
– Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey
– Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
– Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
– Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
– Gluten Free Cookies for Santa by The Cooking Underwriter
– Pfeffernusse by The Foodie Army Wife
– Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
– Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
– Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes
– Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
– Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
– White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
– Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious
– Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
– Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s  Nutrition Buzz

Drinks
– Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
– Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped Cream by Mama Mommy Mom
– Mint Chocolate Cocoa by Mama’s Blissful Bites

 

 

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Jamaican Sorrel for #SundaySupper

Dec 16, 2012 by lovelypantry

There is always something new going on in my kitchen.  This beverage is a big deal…to the husband. Sorrel is a drink he loves and until now, he had to depend on someone giving it to us as a gift or going to Jamaica to have the real authentic drink. Sorrel is a popular beverage to have during the Christmas season. I’ll confess ~ I never really liked sorrel. Give me some other tropical drink. Give me soursop juice, carrot juice or fruit punch. Just not sorrel. Well, it seems that my taste is changing. I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorrel is amazing! Around this time of year in Jamaica, most households, family gatherings or formal gatherings will have Sorrel in their selection of beverages.

Today’s #SundaySupper theme is Holiday Drinks and Appetizers and our host is Connie from The Foodie Army Wife. A big shout out to my Bestie for giving me “The Real Taste Of Jamaica” by Enid Donaldson! It’s getting good use! I was happy to have it so I could share this recipe today. Please be sure to check out the other beverages and appetizers brought to you by the #SundaySupper family. You’ll need ideas if you are hosting or attending a holiday gathering.

Everyone that I’ve asked makes sorrel a little differently. Some people add a little wine to it. Some add a “little” White Rum, which is true in most cases. I didn’t do too much adapting but I plan to tweak it a bit more on the next round. I’ll add more ginger and just a little less sugar. This was a bit sweet for me but easily rectified by diluting it and adding ice. Sorrel is best served ice-cold. For my household, I omitted the rum because I wanted to be able to drink it at any time during the day, and also I wanted my children to be able to taste it. My children drank it several times, and that truly made me happy.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very important step. Steeping the Sorrel for at least 24 hours allows for a very rich, full-bodied liquid. I allowed mine to steep a little longer. I love all the natural ingredients that make up this drink. If unsweetened Sorrel wasn’t so extremely sour, I’d omit/reduce the sugar. But the sugar is a very necessary component. Substitutions will ruin this drink.

 

 

Once strained, sweetened and chilled – Sorrel is ready to be enjoyed!

 

 

 

The perfect glass of Sorrel …

 

 

 

Sorrel is an excellent gift. It can be made with or without alcohol – either way, it is extremely enjoyable. It can also be kept in the fridge for a long period of time! Especially with the addition of rum as a preservative.

 

 

 

 

Holiday Cocktails

• Glühwein from Magnolia Days
• Cookies-n-Cream Cocktails from The Urban Mrs
• Cranberry Fizz from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Rosemary Orange Punsch from Galactopdx
• Candy Cane Martini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Raspberry Hot Chocolate from Momma’s Meals
• Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog from The Daily Dish Recipes
• Jamaican Sorrel from The Lovely Pantry
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Spoons from Chocolate Moosey
• Homemade Eggnog from Flour on my Face
• Moroccan Mint Tea from MarocMama
• Cherry Bomb from Noshing with the Nolands
• Wassail from There And Back Again
• Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Pomegranate Cosmo from Supper For A Steal
• Poinsettia Mimosas from Big Bear’s Wife
• Mulled Wine: Spiked and Steamy from Daddy Knows Less
• Poinsettia Cocktails from The Catholic Foodie
• The Red Carpet Diva from Cooking Underwriter

 

Holiday Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres

 

• Cheese Ball Wreath from The Meltaways
• Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts from My Catholic Kitchen
• Prosciutto Goat Cheese Rolls with Fig Preserves and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Muenster and Spinach Pinwheels from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Drunk Moose Meatballs from The Foodie Army Wife
• Smoked Salmon Blinis with Cranberry-Spiced Feta from Chattering Kitchen
• Sticky Wholegrain Mustard & Ginger Cocktail Sausages from girlichef
• Potato Leek Soup from What Smells So Good
• Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread from Small Wallet Big Appetite
• 5 Quick & Easy Appetizers for Your Holiday Party from Webicurean
• Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn from Gotta Get Baked
• Crostini topped with Voodoo Chicken Cream Dip from Country Girl in the Village
• Mushroom Strudel from Vintage Kitchen
• Roxanne’s Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Queso Dip from The ROXX Box
• Herbed Holiday Party Mix from Curious Cuisiniere
• Old fashioned Swedish Meatballs from I Run For Wine
• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bites from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch from Juanita’s Cocina
• Salsa Baked Cheese from Home Cooking Memories
• Cookie Dough Dip from The Cookie-A-Day Challenge
• Parmesan Onion Rounds from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Lip-smacking Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs from In The Kitchen with KP
• Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip from Comfy Cuisine
• Indian Spiced Tuna Balls from Soni’s Food
• Onion marmalade with Bacon from Ruffles and Truffles
• Sweet Potato Dip from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Festive Cucumber & Ginger Sushi Rolls from The Ninja Baker
• Baked Jalapeno Popper Ranch Dip from Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Brie from Family Foodie
• Hoisin Asisan Meatballs from Damn Delicious

 

Do you have a favorite dish or beverage to take to a party?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during#SundaySupper on December 16th.  

We’d also love to feature your recipe for holiday parties on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

** Due to the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, we will not be having a live chat this Sunday December 16, 2012. Our hearts and prayers go out to the souls lost and the affected families. **

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

Jan 5, 2012 by lovelypantry

Holiday baking was fun for me. I generally look for recipes that are quick and have fairly simple ingredients. I had been searching  for cookie recipes for a few days during the holiday season (lots to go through) and I was really happy to try this. I did not adapt the ingredients for this recipe in any way. It was perfect just the way it was. Find the original recipe here.

My kids loved it, and honestly, I had a hard time restraining myself while they were cooling. I messed up my first batch because I tried to bake 8 cookies on a tray. And when I say messed up, I just mean they baked stuck together and I had to cut them so they looked like weird squares. Tasted great all the same :-). These cookies start out small but they do spread quite a bit. 6 Cookies go on a 15.5inch X 10.5inch rimmed baking tray.

I made this recipe 3 times over the holidays! Yep, they were that good! I was able to give them as gifts and as a treat at a New Year gathering. I did my cookie baking at night so I did not get to take too many photographs but here are some that I shared on Facebook while I was making them.

Here they are, “chilling out” in the fridge before baking.

 

And here is the first batch cooling. Thank goodness for stackable cooling racks! I only have 3 racks but once the cookies cooled, I transferred them to a cookie pan to make way for the set coming out of the oven. I definitely need more baking trays. This will reduce the overall cooking time drastically.

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed these cookies. They were delightfully crispy and had a satisfying crunch. I might make some more this week – just because! 🙂

 

 

 

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Happy New Year 2012!

Jan 3, 2012 by lovelypantry

I just wanted to start the year off by thanking everyone for all their support and encouragement since I created The Lovely Pantry. I have so many ideas for recipes and concepts for photographs. I’ve grown so much and met so many wonderful people along my journey so far. I’m excited and grateful to be able to continue my passion through this medium. The holiday season has been quite busy for me, to say the least. But it was wonderful to be around friends and relatives and to share meals and watch the children play together. I miss my own family immensely (parents, brother, cousins etc) but hopefully I will get to see them later this year. There’s nothing like having your own family with you during the holidays! I’m still very thankful and blessed for those that I have around me that make me feel “at home”.

Now that things are slowing down a little bit, I have a lot of posts to catch up on! I have a few goals for myself which includes posting more often, improving my photography, meeting more foodies and making bread! Those are just a few things I have on my list. Below are some photographs of a meal I prepared for an informal gathering at my home during the holidays. No recipes today. 🙂 I still have to show you what I cooked for my own family after Christmas. I found a new love for cookies! My husband says he thinks he’s found his new favourite cookie – this may mean trouble for me! 🙂

The menu is as follows, served with Jamaican style Rice and Peas:

Lemon Herbed Salmon. I’ve made this before – here’s the recipe. Underneath that herbed crispy topping, is moist salmon. It was lovely.

 

 

Veal Pastitsio – a definite crowd pleaser. I really love it, especially because my children enjoy it.

 

 

My guests specifically requested Oxtail! I aim to please! I don’t have oxtail very often but I definitely indulge the few times for the year that I actually make it. It brings back memories of Jamaica.

 

 

Perhaps I went a little overboard, but you have to know that I enjoy feeding people. I also love getting feedback from my experiments! So basically I used the Ginger Carrot Bread recipe and modified it. I split the batter in 2 and used smaller loaf pans to bake them in. I made a plain Ginger Carrot Bread, and another with raisins. I modified the same recipe and used Vanilla Chai Soy beverage instead of carrot juice. I made it before so I knew what it would taste like however, this time (again, I split the batter) I made one with dark chocolate chips and the other with dried cherries. Then of course I made a cake that I had not tried before – Orange cake made with orange rind and freshly squeezed orange juice. Heavenly! I will be posting that recipe very soon!

 

 

After a night of entertaining, I decided to make cookies. I don’t usually make cookies but I realized if I’m going to be a kitchen Goddess, I need to be able to make everything! 🙂 They turned out to be a success and I was even able to give them as gifts during the holiday season. Well, not the one’s my hubby loved the most.

 

 

And finally, this is the reason my husband adores me. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. No flour required. I was even able to use low-fat peanut butter, clearly for my own satisfaction. I plan to use organic peanut butter next time to see if there’s any major difference in the taste. That’s our secret though. He doesn’t have to know.

 

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed ringing in the New Year. I wish everyone the utmost success in everything they hope to achieve and accomplish this year and beyond. 2012 is going to be an awesome year filled with personal growth and wonderful friendships! I believe this, so I know it will become reality!

Join me on Facebook as I will be sharing some more photographs there too. I share my own recipes and photographs, as well as beautiful recipes by culinary artists all over the world on Twitter. Follow me!

Say hello to me anytime.

Take care.

 

Lyn

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