Sherry Chapmanby Sherry Chapman
First published in Spring, 2012, Volume 7, Issue 2, The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies.
Christmasthyme! Tis the only time of the year I almost enjoy it at the Borden house. Everybody is mostly in a good mood. That’s when ya step out to go visitin’ or to the shops. Oh, once in a while a shop keeper will ask me when “Old Man Borden” is gonna send him his money for somethin’ Miss Lizzie took. I just keep my eyes lowered and say I don’t know nothin’ about it. And I mostly don’t. I don’t hear every word that’s said in the house. Darn it.
Mrs. Borrden, who goes out every day somewhere, and don’t not go nowhere as the girls tell their friends because as Miss Lizzie says “She is too fat to get thru the door,” brings home a temptin’ treat nearly daily. A pie or a cake, somethymes cookies. She’ll sit ‘em on the table at supper time to try to get them to take the later meal with herself and Mr. Borrden. They don’t even come downstairs at this thyme of year. Mrs. Borrden tries not to show it bothers her, and she’ll simply take the dessert up to her room and in the mornin’ bring down the empty platter. Oh, I don’t mean to say she eats it all. She always offers me a portion. A small portion … I dare not complain in the presence of Mr. Borrden for sure. She don’t ask him if he wants enny. He never has sweets. He says they ain’t worth the price ya later pay at the dentist.
I cannot hardly wait till I’m done cookin’ the last of the family’s Christmas dinner. Then my Christmas truly starts at my cousin’s house on 5th street. I don’t do enny of the cookin’ cuz I’m so busy doin’ it for the Borrdens. I generally bring a bottle of spirits that’s gone before they know it.
My cousin, Colleen, gave me her wonderful recipe to share with you that she makes every Christmas. I think you’ll enjoy her
IRISH
PLUM
PUDDING
Yer gonna need:
3 ounses of white bread crumbs
1 ½ ounses of flour
2 eggs
half a cup demerara sugar*
half a cup prepared suet
half a cup sultanas
half a cup raisins half a cup currants
half a half a cup sliced almonds
just a wee bit of chopped cherries
a medium pincha orange peel
half a lemon rind plus juice
a pincha nutmeg
one small spoon of mixed spice
a pincha bicarbonate of soda
some salt
Take all yer dry ingredients together and mix in a bowl. Add yer eggs, lemon, orange rind and that lemon juice. Colleen says ya gotta mix it real good or you’ll be sorry. Put it all in a bowl that’s been well greased, that can hold 2 pints. Then cover the bowl with two pieces of greaseproof paper that ya grease good. (How can ya grease greasproof paper? Well, I’ll try to remember to ask Colleen and tell the answer in the next issue.) Ennyway, ya steam the mixture 6 hours then take the paper off.
Enny fat on top of the pudding will be absorbed. When it’s cold (the pudding, not the fat) get the bowl and ya wrap the whole thing with new paper. You can drown it in rum or brandy from thyme to thyme. When Christmas morn comes, ya need to steam it for three hours.
Colleen serves this by pourin’ spirits over it then settin’ it on fire. She don’t tell me on her paper here how to put the fire out, but I’ve been there plenty of thymes and can tell you.
BRANDY
BUTTER
This goes on top of the pudding. You can make it up to 3 weeks in advance. You’ll have a better thyme of it if ya taste it as ya go along.
Yer gonna need:
6 big spoons of brandy
Almost a cup of unsalted butter
Almost a cup of dark brown sugar
Make sure yer butter ain’t chilled, so take it outta yer ice box a good hour before ya start makin’ this. Take yer whisk and whip it with the brown sugar till it’s creamy. Wait till it’s smooth, then add in just a little brandy. Mix it real good. And ya keep goin’ back and forth from mixin’ to addin’ brandy till all the brandy is used up. Taste it, and add more brandy if ya think (or if ya can think) it needs enny more. Seal it up and serve this cold from the ice box on the pudding.
*This “demerara sugar” – tis sugar that’s a rich, golden kind with a hint of molasses. They call it that back home. You could try to send for some, or you probably could use light brown sugar and maybe put in a little molasses.
May all the Saints be with you
This Christmas sure and fine
And may all your silver glisten
Cuz yer servant made it shine.
And when yer in the stores in town
And chosen every gift
Be kind to all you love and know
Add yer work girl to yer list!
