Recipe - Perfect Christmas Pudding

24 California dried figs
1 One half cup Milk
1 cup Shortening
2 cup Soft bread crumbs,
lightly packed down
Three fourths cup Granulated sugar
3 tablespoon Quickcooking tapioca
1 One half cup Sifted allpurpose flour
2 One half teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Powdered allspice
1 teaspoon Powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon Powdered cloves
One half teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Light molasses
1 cup Chopped, walnut meats
(toasted)
3 Egg whites

With scissors, snip stems from figs. Then snip figs into small pieces.
Heat them in milk in top of double boiler until figs are soft (about 20
minutes). Remove from heat, stir figs thoroughly until mashed. Add
shortening, bread crumbs, sugar and tapioca. Sift and measure flour, and
sift again with other dry ingredients. Add with molasses and chopped
walnuts. Fold in stiffly whipped egg whites. Turn into generously
buttered 2quart mold, cover tightly and steam, covered, for 3 hours on a
rack in hot water that must come halfway up side of mold. Or steam in
individual molds. Serve piping hot, with burning red candle on top. Deck
with holly, and be generous with the hard sauce! Serves 810.

Source: 48 Family Favorites with California Figs
Reprinted with the permission of The California Fig Advisory Board
Electronic format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/califfig.zip