Mincemeat is a traditional Christmas food in many parts of the world, including mine. As mincemeat is a common staple ingredient in my pantry, I use mincemeat in a whole host of recipes including muffins, cookies, tarts, pies, squares, and quick breads. Today, however, I have used my own homemade Green Tomato Mincemeat to create a divine Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding.
This is a lovely moist pudding with wonderful flavors of mincemeat, apple, citrus notes, warm spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice), and brandy (though rum would also be a suitable substitute if brandy is not your taste).
While commercially-produced bottled mincemeat can certainly be used in this pudding, my preference is, of course, to my own mincemeat made from green tomatoes grown in my garden. You can find my recipe for the Green Tomato Mincemeat by clicking here. We always seem to have an over-abundance of green tomatoes and, because I don’t like to waste food, I find ways to use them up and have to say that Green Tomato Mincemeat is one of the most flavorful and versatile uses I have found for the tomatoes.
Steamed Puddings are often the dessert of choice for Christmas dinner and I have several recipes on my website for these types of puddings and I will list them along with their hotlinks at the bottom of this post.
This Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding is not difficult to make but it does require several hours of steaming and an 8-cup heatproof mould which needs to be greased super well. If you don’t have a steamed pudding mould like the one in the photo below, you could use a metal or other heatproof bowl. Simply spoon the batter into the bowl, cover with a double thickness of heavy-duty tin foil, and secure it tightly with string. The important thing is that, whatever vessel is used, it has a tight cover for the steaming process since the steam is what cooks the pudding and maintains the moisture without leaving the pudding wet and soggy. One thing you do not want is water getting into the mould/bowl containing the pudding.
The advantages of using a pudding mould specially designed for steaming puddings is that it comes with its own cover and it also has a funnel in the center which helps the pudding to cook evenly and without falling. And, the bonus, of course, is the attractive shape of the pudding when it is unmoulded and plated. Pudding moulds are generally available at specialty kitchen supply stores and online.
To steam this pudding, a large stock pot will be needed – one that allows enough room for the pudding mould to sit in the center of the pot and has at least 1½ ” – 2 ” space all around the mould. A small wire rack that fits into the pot will also be required. This is what the mould needs to sit on as the pudding steams.
It’s important that the mould not touch the bottom or sides of the pot as the water needs to circulate all around the pot (including underneath the pudding mould in order for the pudding to cook evenly. Once the pudding mould is set on the wire rack, carefully pour in enough boiling water to come up to about the half-way point on the pudding mould. This is the level of water that must be maintained throughout the entire steaming process so additional boiling water may need to be added as the pudding steams. Once the boiling water has been added to the stock pot, cover the large pot with a lid and bring the water back to a full boil then immediately reduce the heat to a very low, gentle boil.
Generally speaking, at least 2¾ – 3 hours will need to be allotted for this pudding to steam as it is quite dense. This, however, is only an estimate and the true test is when a cake tester inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean. I recommend removing the lid from the pudding mould and checking the pudding with a cake tester at about the 2½ – hour point and then, if not cooked, about every 10-12 minutes thereafter until the tester comes out clean.
When the pudding is cooked, remove the mould from its water bath and place it on a wire rack. Let the pudding rest in the mould for about 20 minutes then remove the lid from the mould and, if necessary, gently run a knife around the edges of the pudding to loosen it from the mould. Place a serving plate over the top of the mould and invert the pudding which should drop out of the mould onto the plate.
While this pudding is lovely served with a traditional simple brown sugar sauce, it is particularly tasty served with either a Toffee Sauce (recipe below) or a rich eggnog sauce (recipe accessible by clicking here). Because of the richness of either the Toffee or Eggnog Sauce, not a lot of the sauce is needed per serving.
Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding
Ingredients for Pudding:
1½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup baking flour, if required)
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
2/3 cup medium-grind bread crumbs (gluten-free, if required)
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup brandy
2 tsp finely grated orange rind
1 cup mincemeat (homemade or purchased)
½ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup frozen butter, coarsely grated
1 cup apple (peeled and cored), diced into small pieces
Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:
¾ cup butter (no substitutes)
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
¾ cup whipping cream (35% M.F.)
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla
Method for Pudding:
Grease 8-cup heatproof pudding mould or spray with cooking spray.
In separate bowl, sift or sieve the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Reduce speed to medium-low and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, brandy, and grated orange rind. Beat to combine. Incorporate the mincemeat and orange marmalade and beat mixture well to combine.
Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and stir in the dry ingredients, about a third at a time, stopping to scrape sides of bowl, if and as necessary. Blend in the bread crumbs. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the grated butter and diced apple.
Transfer batter to prepared pudding mould, smoothing top with spatula or knife. Cover mould tightly with lid. Place mould on wire rack in the center of a large stockpot and fill pot with boiling water to about half way up the side of the mould. Cover stockpot with lid and bring the water to a full boil then immediately reduce the heat to a very low gentle boil. Steam the pudding over medium-low heat for approximately 2¾ – 3 hours, or until cake tester inserted into centre of pudding comes out clean. (NOTE: Add more water to pot as necessary to maintain the water level at about the half-way point on the pudding mould during the entire steaming process.) Remove mould from water bath and place on wire rack and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove mould lid and run knife gently around pudding edges to loosen pudding from mould, if necessary. Invert pudding onto serving dish and serve warm with favorite sauce – e.g., brown sugar sauce, eggnog sauce, or toffee sauce.
Yield: Apx. 10-12 servings
Method for Toffee Sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Gradually add the cream and reduce heat to simmer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thick and coats the back of the spoon, about 6-8 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy and vanilla. Serve warm over pudding. (Sauce will thicken as it starts to cool. Sauce may be reheated slightly on low heat, if necessary).
Yield: Apx. 2+ cups sauce
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends, please do so on social media and share the direct link to the Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding recipe on my website.
Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding
Ingredients
Ingredients for Pudding:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup baking flour, if required)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 2/3 cup medium-grind bread crumbs (gluten-free, if required)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup brandy
- 2 tsp finely grated orange rind
- 1 cup mincemeat (homemade or purchased)
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup frozen butter, coarsely grated
- 1 cup apple (peeled and cored), diced into small pieces
Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:
- ¾ cup butter (no substitutes)
- 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup whipping cream (35% M.F.)
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Method for Pudding:
- Grease 8-cup heatproof pudding mould or spray with cooking spray.
- In separate bowl, sift or sieve the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Reduce speed to medium-low and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, brandy, and grated orange rind. Beat to combine. Incorporate the mincemeat and orange marmalade and beat mixture well to combine.
- Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and stir in the dry ingredients, about a third at a time, stopping to scrape sides of bowl, if and as necessary. Blend in the bread crumbs. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the grated butter and diced apple.
- Transfer batter to prepared pudding mould, smoothing top with spatula or knife. Cover mould tightly with lid. Place mould on wire rack in the center of a large stockpot and fill pot with boiling water to about half way up the side of the mould. Cover stockpot with lid and bring the water to a full boil then immediately reduce the heat to a very low gentle boil. Steam the pudding over medium-low heat for approximately 2¾ - 3 hours, or until cake tester inserted into centre of pudding comes out clean. (NOTE: Add more water to pot as necessary to maintain the water level at about the half-way point on the pudding mould during the entire steaming process.) Remove mould from water bath and place on wire rack and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove mould lid and run knife gently around pudding edges to loosen pudding from mould, if necessary. Invert pudding onto serving dish and serve warm with favorite sauce – e.g., brown sugar sauce, eggnog sauce, or toffee sauce.
- Yield: Apx. 10-12 servings
Method for Toffee Sauce:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Gradually add the cream and reduce heat to simmer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thick and coats the back of the spoon, about 6-8 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy and vanilla. Serve warm over pudding. (Sauce will thicken as it starts to cool. Sauce may be reheated slightly on low heat, if necessary).
- Yield: Apx. 2+ cups sauce
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 10-12 servings
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You may also enjoy these other steamed pudding recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen:
Steamed Christmas Pudding
Steamed Cranberry Pudding
Steamed Carrot Pudding
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…and a note for those who may wish to make a gluten-free version of this pudding:
This pudding can be made gluten free by substituting 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup baking flour for the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup medium-grind gluten-free bread crumbs for the 2/3 cup regular wheat-based bread crumbs called for in the recipe and ensuring all other ingredients are also gluten free. However, your health is your responsibility and you should always read the labels and confirm the gluten-free status of each ingredient in the recipe yourself to ensure your own comfort level. Even if I have not specifically stated “gluten-free” by every single ingredient, it is understood that the intent is that each and every ingredient (and not just the flour and bread crumbs) is to be gluten-free if a gluten-free pudding is to made from this recipe.
I am not a medical professional and have no medical training. The recipes on my website are based on my own experiences along with information obtained through my own research. Use of this recipe, as well as any others, from my food blog are at the user’s own sole risk. If you are not comfortable with the recipe, or are uncertain of the gluten-free status of any of the ingredients called for in the recipe, please do not use the recipe.
