1 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped cranberries or chopped raisins
2 Tbsp shortening
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
Creamy Sauce (below) or Rum Hard Sauce (below)
Generously grease 6-cup mold. Pour boiling water on cranberries; stir in shortening. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Stir in cranberry mixture, molasses and egg. Pour into mold. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place mold on rack in Dutch oven or steamer; pour boiling water into Dutch oven halfway up mold. Cover Dutch oven.
Keep water boiling over low heat about 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center of pudding comes out clean. Remove mold from Dutch oven. Let stand 5 minutes; unmold.
Serve warm or cool with Creamy Sauce or Rum Hard Sauce. 8 servings.
CREAMY SAUCE:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
Mix powdered sugar and margarine in 1-quart saucepan until smooth and creamy. Stir in whipping cream. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.
RUM HARD SAUCE:
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum or 2 tsp vanilla
Beat margarine in small bowl on high speed about 5 minutes or until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and rum. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
