The origin of Cabinet Pudding or Chancellor’s Pudding remains a mystery to me, although I have been told that its beginnings lay in France where it is known as Poudin a la chanceliere. I’ve also been informed that the Cabinet pudding is quite similar to the Newcastle Pudding.
A thing that’s always caught my curiosity is…the name. Is there some sort of political connection or story behind it? Or is it some enterprising chef’s name-tweak to the traditional bread pudding or trifle?
The picture above might throw off many of the Americans who read this blog, so let me state that pudding does not in fact begin and end with what the Jell-O product line offers us. Puddings in North America tend to be things like mousses or instant custards of some sort.
The Cabinet Pudding is a Steamed dessert, usually made from some sort of sponge cake, Savoy cake, or even lady fingers. Glace cherries, sultanas (raisins), and currants are mixed in with a liqueur for flavor.
I must confess that I’ve always found the traditional Mrs. Beeton recipe to be a bit of an undertaking.
So instead I would encourage you all to hop on over to Niamh Mannion aka The Game Bird’s blog
http://thegamebird.blogspot.com/2014/10/cabinet-pudding.html
I’ve found her recipe to be much more manageable and timely in our busy age.
Echo House 