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Dinner and Dessert

The Story of the Christmas Fig Pudding
A not so typical recipe find!

Mom and Dad were at a pot-luck barbeque just before leaving Mesa, AZ to come home for Christmas. Someone had brought this unique pudding and Mom went looking for the cook to get the recipe. The cook delivered the following story to her the next day:
Let’s see- “What shall I take to the pot-luck dinner?” -there’s no way I’m going to the store again. I’ve got all those...
I’ve been hiding from myself somewhere.
I’ve sampled a few , of course, and they’re not bad, even low fat!

So next step, search through some of my old-time recipes for a fig pudding. First one I find says “ one cup of chopped suet”. Can’t have that.

After an unsuccessful search I turned to my cupboard. How about making my own? Oh good! Here’s a recipe for creamy vanilla pudding, and it’s made in the microwave. Hooray!

I cut the fig bars into little squares. Very easy to do. Stack the bars in fours and use a big chef’s knife.

Creamy Vanilla Pudding:
Calls for 3 tbsp. of sugar-I use 1 tbsp.
mix sugar with 3 tbsp of corn starch and whisk in 2 cups milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Microwave on high for 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

I mix this with chopped fig bars. Seems too dry so I make another batch of pudding. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. This looks so UGLY I try to make it more appetizing with a dusting of powdered sugar and then some coloured sprinkles. WHOOPS now it's even less attractive. The sprinkles dissolve into a greenish liquid. Oh what next!!
Whipping cream would be the answer, but of course I don’t have that. Not even Cool-Whip. Well I’m determined to go to that special BBQ dinner, so maybe I can sneak my pudding in.

Carol Giefer graciously greets me and takes my dish to the dessert table. After our delicious meal and great sing-a-long I wait for quite some time before going to pick up my dish. I'm sure the pudding will be almost untouched.

SURPRISE!

The bowl is almost empty, and then our dear Emma comes up to say how much she enjoyed it and asks for the recipe.

Oh the Joy of Friends at Christmas Time!

Story and Recipe by
Jean Krest
Apache Wells, AZ