½ cup (or more to taste) dried figs, chopped (If you don't like dried figs, try other dried fruits)
Instructions
Combine milk and molasses. Combine dry ingredients. Mix the two well and add suet, fruit and nuts.Pour into a 5 cup greased pudding mold. Place in tall pot, and fill with boiling water to just about 2 inches below the top of the pudding mold.Don't let the water get in the mold. Place a tight lid on the pot and start steaming the pudding. The water should
be simmering, but not boiling. Steam for 3 hours, making sure the simmering water stays about 2 inches from the top of the mold. another pot. When 3 hours is up, lift the pudding mold out of the water using tongs. Take the lid off the pudding mold, and let the pudding cool for about 10 minutes. Then carefully turn it out onto a plate. Best served warm. Traditional garnish is a piece of holly on the top.
Notes
1. Don't use a food processor to chop your suet. It will just turn it into paste. 2. If you don't have a pudding mold, use a 5 cup metal bowl or 'lard bucket'. Cover the top with doubled aluminum foil, and tie the foil tightly onto the container with twine. It must be tight enough so that the steam can't get out. You can also use a coffee can with the foil lid tied on. 3. Use already boiling water to replace water in steaming pot. You don't want the pudding to stop steaming! 4. Pudding is very easy to reheat by returning to original container, putting the foil back on top, and placing in a 350 degree oven till warm. If you don't see suet at your food market, ask the butcher to cut some off for you. Ask for Beef Suet, and say that you want it to be all suet, with no meat on it.
Recipe by Merry Christmas Recipes at https://merrychristmasrecipes.com/2011/10/15/steamed-figgy-pudding/