The traditional Christmas dinner ends with a flaming flourish, as the rich, dark mound of plum pudding is brought to the table, doused with brandy and set alight. Like many 'traditional' recipes, the one for Christmas pudding has its variants. The first recipe below is regarded as a standard Old English Plum Pudding, while the second recipe is similar but with somewhat different ingredients. Both are delicious!

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

1 lb. dried currants

1 lb. seedless raisins

1 lb. seeded raisins or sultanas

1 lb. mixed candied peel

1 cup glacé cherries, cut up

1 ½ cups dark rum

1 orange

1 lemon

2 cups flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. ginger

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. mace

1 tsp. salt

1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

1 cup dark brown sugar (well-packed)

1 lb. ground beef suet

4 eggs, well beaten

½ cup molasses

½ cup brandy

1 cup blanched, slivered almonds

SOAK dried fruits in rum and grated rind and juice of orange and lemon in a covered container (not metal) for as long as possible before Christmas (up to a week is also okay), stirring occasionally.

Sift spices, salt and flour into a large mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs, then remaining ingredients in order given, mixing well. Lastly, stir in fruit.

Grease well with shortening and lightly flour two 6-cup steamed pudding moulds and one 4-cup mould. Firmly pack batter into moulds, cover with wax paper, and tightly fitting lids.

If lids don't have handles, use strips of cloth vertically, and tie together at the top to make a handle. Sit moulds on metal racks, inverted Pyrex pie plates or custard cups in separate pots.

Pour boiling water half way up sides of moulds. Keep water at a good boil. Steam for five hours, topping up with boiling water as required throughout cooking time. Remove from pots, cool and store.

TO REHEAT: Re-steam for about 1 ½ hours. Unmould on to fancy plate. If desired, stick a sprig of holly in the top. At moment of serving, remove holly, drizzle with almost-hot brandy and ignite.

Serve with hard sauce (see recipe below) or thick cream. (Betsy Ross in 'What's Cooking in Bermuda').

HARD SAUCE

? cup butter

1 cup sifted icing sugar

1 tsp. rum or brandy

Pinch of salt

CREAM butter well, add sugar gradually. When well creamed together add salt and spirits. Taste to see if more rum/brandy is needed. When sauce is smooth, pile lightly in a bowl and chill.

Here is a variant

GRANNY'S CHRISTMAS PUDDING

1 lb. brown raisins

1 lb. currants

1 lb. dried, pitted prunes, chopped

½ cup rum or brandy

4 oz. candied orange peel, chopped

4 oz. candied lemon peel, chopped

½ cup peeled, slivered almonds

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

8 oz. beef suet, chopped fine

1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp. ground ginger

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

? cup brandy or rum

GREASE well with shortening and then flour the inside of a 2-quart pudding mould. Set aside.

Soak dried fruits in ½ cup rum or brandy in a lidded storage container as far ahead of pudding preparation as possible.

On mixing day, sift into a very large mixing bowl the flour, baking powder, and spices. Then add the salt, soaked fruit mixture, candied fruits and almonds. Stir by hand until everything is well mixed, then add the breadcrumbs and stir well again.

In a separate bowl, combine lightly beaten eggs, brown sugar, suet and lemon rind. Bit by bit, blend this mixture into the rest of the ingredients in the large bowl. The batter will be thick and heavy. Spoon the mixture into the pudding mould, and attach lid. If lid has no handle, tie strips of cloth vertically around the mould and tie firmly at the top to make a lift. Place mould on a metal rack in a large stockpot and add enough hot water until it reaches about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the mould. Cover stockpot and boil on medium heat for about eight hours. When done, turn off heat, remove mould from the pot and cool. *Note: Water level should be kept constant, so top up with more hot water as needed.