12th February: National Plum Pudding Day

National Plum Pudding Day celebrates a traditional holiday dessert. On February 12th, learn about this tasty treat with an interesting history.

Plum pudding is made by steaming or boiling and the pudding is usually served during the holiday season. Interestingly, many of the recipes don’t even contain any plums.  One explanation given is that during the 17th century, plums were referred to as raisins or other fruits.

The name Christmas pudding is first recorded in 1858 in a novel by Anthony Trollope.

Plum pudding is usually made up of nutmeg, raisins, nuts, apples, cinnamon, and dates, along with other ingredients.  In England, traditionally every person in the home holds onto the wooden spoon together to help stir the batter. While they are stirring, they also make a wish!  Plum pudding has also been known to be called plum duff.