Recipe - Steamed Apple-Date Pudding

1 pack Dates,pitted(8oz)
One half cup Apple cider
Three fourths cup Sugar
One half cup Butter or margarine,softened
4 Eggs
2 cup Flour,allpurpose
2 teaspoon Baking powder
One half teaspoon Cinnamon,ground
One fourth teaspoon Cloves,ground
1 Apple,peeled,large
Three fourths cup Walnuts
Red candied cherries
Green candies cherries

CUSTARD SAUCE
4 Egg yolks
1/3 cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1. Heavily grease deep 2 1/2quart heatsafe bowl. Cut foil 1 inch large
than top of bowl to use as cover. Grease 1 side of foil well; set aside.
2. In blender at medium speed or in food processor with knife blade
attached, blend dates and apple juice until smooth; set aside.
4. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter or
margarine just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and
fluffy. Add eggs, next 5 ingredients, and date mixture; beat at low speed
until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 1 minute, occasionally
scraping bowl with rubber spatula. With rubber spatula, gently fold in
chopped apple and walnuts. Spoon pudding mixture into prepared bowl. Cover
bowl with foil, greased side down, tying tightly with string.
4. Set bowl on rack in 812 quart saucepan. Pour in water to come halfway
up side of bowl, nut touching foil. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce
heat to low; cover and simmer 2 One half to 3 hours, until skewer inserted
through foil into center of pudding comes out clean.
5. About 30 minutes before pudding is done, prepare Custard Sauce.
6. When pudding is done, cool in bowl on wire rack 10 minutes; loosen
pudding with metal spatula and invert into warm platter. Garnish pudding
with red and green candied cherries. Serve pudding warm with warm sauce.
*** CUSTARD SAUCE ***
1. In heavy 2quart saucepan over low heat, or in double boiler over hot,
not boiling, water, with wire whisk, beat egg yolks, sugar, and salt.
Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture
thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 25 minutes. Stir in vanilla
extract.
2. Serve sauce warm or cold over apple pie, fruitcake, cutup fruit, or ice
cream.

Miscellaneous recipes from the collection of Mike Orchekowski.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/momisc.zip