Historic recipe from Malinda Russell's 1866 cookbook "A Domestic Cook Book". Page 21. One of the earliest known cookbooks by an African American author.
This historic steamed pudding relies on eggs as the primary structure builder, creating a custard-like texture when gently cooked in boiling water. The alkaline soda (baking soda) tenderizes the egg proteins and helps the pudding set more firmly while creating a slightly springy texture. Cooking in a cloth bag submerged in water provides gentle, even heat distribution that prevents curdling, while the prolonged cooking time ensures the eggs fully coagulate into a sliceable pudding.
Before You Begin
•This recipe requires interpretation—'2 do. salt' means 2 teaspoons salt (ditto marks). Add approximately 6 tablespoons flour to bind the mixture, as flour would have been assumed in period recipes.
•Use a pudding cloth, clean pillowcase, or muslin bag, and boil it first to sanitize and prevent sticking. Alternatively, use a well-buttered pudding basin covered with parchment and foil.
•Keep the water at a gentle boil throughout cooking and ensure the pudding bag never touches the bottom of the pot—tie it to a wooden spoon laid across the pot rim.
•Prepare the sauce while the pudding cooks, but don't add the raw eggs to hot butter-sugar mixture or they'll scramble. The sauce is essentially a simple custard-based sauce.
Community Notes
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•This is a savory-sweet pudding typical of 19th century cooking—expect a dense, eggy texture similar to Yorkshire pudding or clafoutis, not modern cake-like pudding.
Key Equipment
Large stockpot (at least 8-quart capacity)Pudding cloth, muslin bag, or 2-quart pudding basin with lidKitchen twineWooden spoon for suspending bagMedium saucepan for sauceWhisk
Ingredients
Instructions
1
Three pints sweet milk, eight eggs, one teaspoon soda, two do.
2
salt; put into a bag, and boil three hours.
3
Sauce—Rub together butter and sugar, break in three eggs, and stir till light; one grated nutmeg.
Make Ahead
The pudding can be steamed up to 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and refrigerated wrapped in the cloth or plastic wrap. Reheat by steaming for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. The butter-sugar-egg sauce is best made fresh, but can be prepared 2 hours ahead and kept warm in a double boiler, whisking occasionally.
Storage
Store leftover pudding wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice and reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or steam slices for 10 minutes. The sauce should be stored separately in an airtight container and can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat gently in a double boiler, whisking constantly.
