What Is Figgy Pudding?
The long history of this merry treat, plus delicious modern recipes for your own celebration.
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By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.
We’ve probably all heard of it, and many of us have even sung about it, but what exactly is figgy pudding? Whether you know the treat as figgy pudding, plum pudding or Christmas pudding, they all share a history dating to Medieval England. Here’s everything you need to know about this storied Christmas dessert, plus modern recipes for trying your hand at it this season.
What Is Figgy Pudding?
Sometimes known as Christmas pudding or plum pudding, figgy pudding is a steamed cake-like dessert made from dried fruit, flour, suet or butter and brown sugar, and typically soaked in brandy or rum.
Records of figgy pudding or similar dishes date to England circa 1400 and consist of a mixture of boiled figs, wine, ground almonds and honey, and sometimes more savory ingredients. Over the centuries, the dish evolved to be more cake-like, and by Victorian times recipes were recognizable as the dense, boozy, fruit-studded cake we know today. Charles Dickens made the presentation of the dish a highlight of the Cratchits’ Christmas celebration in “A Christmas Carol,” and the carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” mentions the dish no fewer than six times, keeping it part of holiday lore whether or not it's on our tables.
So, if the dessert doesn’t require figs, and if it’s not spoonable like custard, why is it called both “figgy” and “pudding”? Dried figs were popular and fairly plentiful in Medieval and Renaissance Europe and a dependable sweetener. As time went on other dried fruits were used in the cake but the word “figgy” stuck around. By the Victorian era raisins and currants were typically the fruits to use, although confusingly raisins (and dried fruit in general) were known as “plums” at the time — hence why the dish is sometimes called “plum pudding.”
And why the “pudding” part? Porridge-like mixtures both sweet and savory had been known by this term for centuries. The name eventually evolved as a British catchall for a variety of sweets, and today can be a synonym for the dessert course itself, as in “What’s for pudding tonight?” or even “What’s for pud?”
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What Is Figgy Pudding Made Of?
Although recipes for figgy pudding evolved over the centuries, by Victorian times the main ingredients had been pretty standardized to suet, brown sugar, raisins or other dried fruit, orange peel, eggs, breadcrumbs and spices like nutmeg and allspice. Modern recipes often replace suet (beef fat) with butter, and flour is sometimes substituted for some or all of the breadcrumbs. A variety of dried fruits are used, from raisins to dates to figs and more.
Once the batter is mixed, it's poured into a round mold and steamed for several hours. It’s unmolded, wrapped in cheesecloth and traditionally left to cure for several weeks, often with brandy or rum periodically poured over it. The result is a dark, dense, fruity and boozy cake. The classic presentation is to flambé it dramatically tableside, but it can also simply be cut into wedges. A holly leaf on top is a picture-perfect holiday touch.
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What Does Figgy Pudding Taste Like?
Figgy pudding is fruity and very dense, and typically strongly flavored with brandy or rum. Its closest relative would probably be fruitcake, although figgy pudding is typically spicier and crumblier. A dessert sauce may be added to offset figgy pudding’s intense flavor and heavy texture. Hard sauce, a frosting-like mixture of butter, sugar and usually brandy or rum, is a British standard, but lighter sauces like creme Anglaise (a.k.a. English custard or vanilla sauce) are also common accompaniments.
Recipes for Figgy Pudding and Christmas Pudding
Armando Rafael
Here’s a classic steamed pudding loaded with fruit and nicely soaked with brandy. A brown sugar sauce for serving is a rich and tasty addition. It's easy, and you can make it up to a week ahead.
This recipe for the Christmas classic has two terrific streamlines for busy cooks: It’s made in a bundt pan, so there's no special mold required, and steamed in the oven in just over an hour in an easy-to-assemble water bath. Attention fig lovers: This version of the pudding uses only dried figs, no other fruit, a bit of a rarity in modern recipes.
April Bloomfield’s holiday pudding is close to one Charles Dickens might recognize: currants and raisins in a rich batter of suet, brown sugar with plenty of spice and alcohol, all steamed for a full 8 hours. Flambéing the pudding at the table is a spectacular reward for all your effort.
This delicious recipe takes the idea of a figgy-style pudding and combines it with another English classic, sticky toffee pudding. The result is extraordinarily tasty and beautiful with a colorful garnish of fresh figs. Baking individual portions in ramekins make it particularly easy to serve.
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