Plum Pudding

I have always wanted to try plum pudding.  I guess I have a crazy fascination with with old English traditions.  
I have had this recipe in this cookbook marked to make forever.  This year was finally the year!  My cute mom came over and we made Carrot Pudding, which was a tradition for her family when she grew up, and plum pudding.  We served them both on Christmas.  I soaked some sugar cubes in lemon extract and we set the plum pudding on fire.  I have ALWAYS wanted to do that.  

I switched the "orange sauce" out to the more traditional lemon sauce which I found on this site.

 1/2 cups chopped, pitted prunes
1/2 cup orange juice
1 medium apple, peeled and grated
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mixed candied fruits (I didn't do this)
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups milk

Pudding: In a medium bowl, soak prunes in orange juice for 1 hour.  Stir in grated apple, walnuts, candied fruits, and orange peel.  In a large mixer bowl, cream butter; add brown sugar and beat well.  Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy.  Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt ginger and nutmeg.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk and ix well.  Stir in prune mixture.  Grease and flour 1 large or 2 or 3 medium molds or cans.  Spoon mixture into containers above 2/3 full.  Cover with foil.  Place containers on rack in large kettle with 2 inches of water.  Steam 2 hours for large or 1 1/2 hours for smaller containers, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool 15 minutes and invert on wire rack.

Lemon Sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Lemon Sauce: (serve hot)

1. Mix cornstarch and sugar. Add to boiling water, stirring vigorously.
2. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, zest, butter and salt.
   
   
   To Serve: Spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes and top with sauce.  Pudding and sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to two weeks.  Wrap pudding in plastic wrap and foil.  To reheat, return pudding to original mold and steam for 30 to 40 minutes.  Serves 18.