Ingredients:

Pudding:

2 c 1/2 c 2 tsp 1 1/2 c

cranberries cut in half molasses baking soda, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water sifted all-purpose flour

Hard Sauce:

1 c 1/2 c 1/2 c 1 tsp

sugar butter (NOT margarine) heavy cream (no other kind) vanilla extract

Procedure:

Pudding:

1. Pour the cranberries in a bowl.
2. Add molasses and baking soda mixture and stir.
3. This will foam up a bit.
4. Add the flour and blend well.
5. Put the mixture in a fancy mold, a metal bowl with a rounded bottom, or even a coffee can will do.
6. Fill to within a 1/2" from the top.
7. More air space is fine, but less might case the mixture to overflow during steaming.
8. Cover the mold, bowl, or can with heavy-duty foil.
9. Put the container on a rack in a Dutch oven with boiling water that goes half way up the side of the container.
10. If you don't have a Dutch oven, put the metal lid of a jar or anything under the container so it doesn't rest on the bottom of the pan.
11. Cover the pan.
12. Bring the water to boiling again.
13. Allow the pudding to steam in gently boiling water for 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with hard sauce. (My recipe to follow.)
Serving suggestion: Serve warm with hard sauce on the side.
Invert on a serving plate. Surround with fresh cranberries and sprigs of holly or something green. Dust with 10X sugar just before garnishing the top with something "green".
Enjoy!

This can be frozen for a few months. It will keep in the refrigerator for 10-14 days … if it lasts that long.
This re-heats by re-steaming well, too, although when there are leftovers, I just scoop a serving and zap it in the microwave.

Hard Sauce:

I always double or triple this recipe. We love its sweetness and literally "float" our pudding in it. (We're bad!)

1. Melt the sugar, butter and heavy cream in a double boiler and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Add vanilla after removing from the heat.
3. Serve hot over NYE pudding.