Persimmons are beginning to show their bright orange selves and the local trees look like the holidays once their leaves fall, leaving the orbs as a decorative gesture. Next to them I spy the first bags of fresh cranberries. There are persimmon cookies, persimmon cakes, persimmon in salads,  but no holiday can go by without persimmon or cranberry pudding, which are not like a creamy stovetop spoon pudding but a solid mass that is more akin to a cake, but it is steamed instead of baked. While persimmon pudding is one of the most familiar, there are many steamed puddings, all just as delicious. Spotted Dick, Plum Pudding, Steamed Chocolate Pudding, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and English Golden Treacle Pudding, are all constructed and cooked in the same manner. You can become a gourmet of steamed puddings, mastering many different flavor combinations, but one thing they have in common–they all seem to be a winter dessert that makes its appearance during the holidays.

Popular since medieval times in Britain and later the New England colonies, a “pud” is a must for ending winter holiday meals.  Once heavy with meat suet as the major fat, modern versions are more like a steamed sponge or sweet quick bread and use butter or oil, making them light and flavorful from fall fruits.  They are steamed in the medium or large on/off style rice cookers with amazing efficiency and ease.  I consider the large rice cooker the appliance of choice when steaming puddings.

classic metal pudding mold

The mold is of paramount importance here.  I collect beautiful covered fluted metal pudding molds, easily available from Williams-Sonoma, La Cuisine, or Sur La Table in 3-cup and 6-cup capacities.  While recipes can call for a fluted tube pan or one-pound coffee cans, these are not suitable for steaming in the rice cooker because they are too tall.  For the best fit, I recommend the 1.5 quart (6 cup) round melon shape, Corinthian column, or a 6 1/2 inch metal kugelhof mold (you will need to cover with foil and a rubber band in lieu of the lid) for the large (10-cup) capacity rice cooker and the 3-cup fluted with wreath top and center tube for the medium (6-cup) capacity rice cooker.

While so many other of the metal molds are beautiful, they may be too tall for the rice cooker cover to sit properly and enclose the steam.  There are some smaller 2 cup molds (the Corninthian column is adorable) or English china pudding basins that will fit in the small or medium rice cooker, but the following recipes are designed for a 1.5 quart (6 cup) capacity mold.  If you use a 3-cup mold, just cut the recipe in half.

The technique for steaming is simple.  The mold is buttered and never filled with batter past two-thirds to allow for expansion.  Snap on the lid or cover and lower it into the water.  It is set on a rack or trivet in simmering water that should come halfway up the sides of the mold.  In the large cooker, that was at the 5 cup line on the side of the bowl.  It is important to check periodically in case the water has boiled off and needs to be replenished, but I found the rice cooker to be very efficient here; about 1 1/2 inches of water boiled off every 25 to 30 minutes.

Warm steamed puddings should have a complementary sauce, ice cream, or liqueur-flavored whipped cream to proclaim them ready to eat.

How To Make Individual Steamed Puddings

Spoon the batter into well-buttered ceramic ramekins, china pudding basins, Pyrex custard cups, or even ovenproof coffee cups, filling 2/3 full.  Securely cover each with a piece of buttered foil and crimp the edges to seal.  Set the steaming rack in place or place a wire rack in the bottom of the cooker and arrange the molds on the rack (they can be touching); you will probably have to steam in two batches.  Pour in 1 to 2 inches of hot water, reaching only halfway up the molds.  Turn on the cooker and bring the water to a boil.  Steam until set, 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the cups.  Remove from the cooker with metal tongs and place on a wire rack.  Remove the foil cover, run a knife around the sides to release the pud, and turn out onto the rack.  Serve warm or room temperature with a sauce of choice.  The small puddings are great to douse in a teaspoon of brandy and ignite at serving time.

Mason Cash traditional pudding basins, the bowls chosen by the Royal Household to package Plum Puddings traditionally given as holiday gifts to the royal staff

Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Sauce

English Pudding with Cranberries and Walnuts with English Custard Sauce

Machine:  Large (10-cup) rice cooker

Yield:  Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hot water

• 1/2 cup light molasses

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use White Lily bleached all-purpose flour, unsifted right out of the bag)

• 2 cups whole fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Set up the rice cooker for steaming by placing a small trivet or wire cooling rack in the bottom of the bowl.  Fill the bowl 1/4 to 1/3 full of hot water, cover the bowl, plug in, and set the switch to the Cook position.  If the water boils before you are ready to steam the pudding, flip the switch to the Keep Warm position.  Generously grease or spray a 1.5 quart (6 cup) round melon-shaped tin pudding mold with clip-on lid with a butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the ingredients in the order given with a large rubber spatula.  Stir well with a folding motion until evenly moistened.

Scrape into the prepared mold, filling two-thirds full.  Set the mold on the trivet or wire rack in the bottom of the cooker, making sure it is centered and not tipped.  Cover and flip the switch back to the Cook position to bring back to a rolling boil, if necessary.  Set a timer and steam for 60 minutes, checking a few times to be sure to not to let the water boil off.

Check the pudding, it should feel slightly firm to the touch, yet slightly moist.  It will be puffed, rising to fill the mold, and a cake tester will come out clean.  Unplug machine to turn off.  Carefully remove from the steamer with oven mits to a wire rack and remove the cover.  Let stand a few minutes, then turn upside down to unmold onto the rack or serving plate.

Serve still warm, cut in wedges, or at room temperature, with custard sauce.

English Custard Sauce

Makes 2 cups

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan or a microwave, scald the milk.  In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat hard with a whisk or process briefly until light colored and foamy.  Whisking constantly, or with the food processor running, add the hot milk gradually into the egg mixture.  Pour back into the saucepan and place over medium heat.

Cook the sauce gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until just slightly thickened, smooth, and the sauce coats a spoon; do not boil, about 5 full minutes.  Pour into a storage bowl and cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.  Serve cold, pouring around the wedge of pud.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. (c) 2002, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Cranberries are harvested during a short season from September after Labor Day through December, with the bulk of the jewel-like crop marketed in November. Due to overwhelming consumer demand, crops generally consist of several varieties planted to stagger the harvest and prolong the season.

Fresh cranberries are available in the produce section of most supermarkets from late October right into January, often sold in their familiar 12-ounce plastic bags, which yield about 3 cups whole berries. Exceptionally high in vitamin C, the raw fruit also contains benzoic acid, a natural preservative, so they hold up to prolonged refrigeration, staying fresh for about 8 weeks after harvest. One should look for plump, shiny, and firm berries, not mushy, shriveled, or green, under-ripe ones. Fortunately we find most bags of cranberries in perfect shape, since the sorting and packing process is so efficient.

Many supermarkets now toss all their end-of-season bags of cranberries directly into the freezer, making them readily available to savvy consumers throughout the coming months. Cranberries can be frozen in bags up to a year and used unthawed in recipes calling for fresh, any time of year. Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Unthawed frozen cranberries are easily chopped in a food processor, just like the fresh. In recipes, just use the frozen (unthawed) whole cranberries directly from their cello bag. Pick over the berries to cull out any stems or soft ones. Since frozen cranberries tend to lose a bit of their crisp texture, they are better suited to dishes that are cooked or baked, rather than served raw.

Canned cranberry sauce, either jellied or whole berry, is available all year round. Beyond serving alone as a condiment, it makes an excellent addition to countless sweet and savory recipes, even baking.  I use canned cranberry sauces in many recipes with fabulous success.

raw cranberries

Peggy’s Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Ginger Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large shallot
• Zest of 1/2 large orange, cut off the fruit in strips with a small knife

• 1/3 cup (2 ounces) slivered almonds

• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

• 1 large tart apple, finely chopped (you can peel or leave the skin on)

• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup currants

• 3/4 teaspoon coarsely grated fresh gingeroot

• 1/4 teaspoon ground curry powder

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1.  Coarsely chop the shallot and orange zest in a food processor.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a preheated 325º oven for 4 to 5 minutes.  Set the almonds aside.

2.  Combine all the ingredients, except the almonds, in the baking pan.

3.  Program the Jam setting and press start.  The chutney is finished at the beep.  Carefully remove the pan with heavy oven mitts and stir in the almonds.  Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.  Serve at room temperature with Savory Appetizer Cheesecake or as a condiment side dish. Makes about 2 cups.

Stovetop Instructions

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place almonds on a baking sheet and cook, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Chop coarsely and set aside to cool.

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, apples, brown sugar, currants, vinegar, orange zest, shallot, ginger, curry, cloves, and allspice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the almonds. Refrigerate, covered, up to 1 month. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Savory Appetizer Cheesecake

Makes one 6-inch cheesecake

This cheesecake can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated until serving.  Place on a small pedestal plate and decorate with fresh leaves.  Serve at room temperature with plain crostini and cranberry chutney.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 4 ounces blue cheese, such as gorgonzola

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons brandy

• 1 1/4 tablespoons minced fresh chives

• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.  Combine the breadcrumbs and the walnuts.  Heavily butter a 6-inch round springform pan.  Coat the pan bottom and sides with the nut crumbs, packing the extra onto the bottom.  Wrap the bottom and a few inches up the sides with aluminum foil to prevent leakage.  Preheat the oven to 325º.

2.  In the workbowl of a food processor, combine the cheeses, sour cream, eggs, and brandy and process until smooth.  Add the chives and season to taste.  Process to combine.  Pour into the prepared pan.

3.  Place the springform in a small roasting pan and pour in warm water at least 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.   Turn off the oven heat and let cheesecake set in the hot oven for 1 hour with the door ajar.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.  Refrigerate overnight.  Run a small knife around the edge before removing the springform sides.

Excerpted from The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2000, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Instructions

• Large chunk of fresh ginger, about 5 inches long

• 3 cups (12-ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• Grated zest of 1 large orange

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1.  Peel and coarsely grate the ginger.  Leave 2/3 of the cranberries whole and chop the rest.

2.  Combine all the ingredients, except the ginger and walnuts, in the baking pan.  Take the grated ginger in your fist and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can into the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Discard the pulp.

3.  Program the Jam setting and press start.  The sauce is finished at the beep.  The cranberries will have popped open.  Carefully remove the pan with heavy oven mitts and stir in the walnuts.  Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  Serve chilled. Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Stovetop Instructions

Peel and coarsely grate the ginger. Discard the pulp. Leave 2/3 of the cranberries whole and chop the rest.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water; bring to a boil. Take the grated ginger in your fist and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can into the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Add to the pan with the cranberries, zest, and cloves. Return to a boil, then lower the heat and cook until the berries begin to pop open, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Scrape with a rubber spatula into a springtop glass jar; let stand until cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  Serve chilled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Excerpted from The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. (c) 2000, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.