Steamed carrot pudding

------------------------------DRY INGREDIENTS------------------------------
      2 c  flour, all-purpose,
           -sifted and measured
  1 1/2 ts Cinnamon
    3/4 ts Cloves
  1 1/2 ts Salt
      2 ts baking powder,
           -double-acting

-----------------------------OTHER INGREDIENTS-----------------------------
  1 1/2 c  Potatoes (raw),
           -grated, or ground
  1 1/2 ts Baking soda
  1 1/2 c  Carrots (raw), ground
           -(use medium blade)
  1 1/2 c  Bread crumbs
           -(dry, not toasted)
  1 1/2 c  Crisco (vegetable
           -shortening)
      2 lg Eggs, lightly beaten
  1 1/2 c  Brown sugar (light
           -or dark, depends
           -on what you like)
  1 1/2 ts Lemon extract
  1 1/2 ts vanilla
  1 1/2 c  Walnuts, finely chopped
           -(black walnuts are
           -wonderful if you can
           -get them)
     15 oz Raisins

-----------------------------SAUCE INGREDIENTS-----------------------------
    1/4 c  Water
    1/2 c  Brown sugar (I use a
           -mixture of light and dark)
      1 ts vanilla
      1 ts Lemon extract
    1/8 ts Cornstarch, well-divided
      1 tb butter
 
  MAKE PUDDING:  Mix the dry ingredients and set them aside.  Grease
  completely three large (25-oz) tin cans, such as the kind used for tomato
  puree.  Do NOT use the plastic-lined variety. Alternatively, grease one
  large steaming mold, with a hole in the center. Or improvise.
  
  Add the potatoes.  Mix well.  Then, in turn, add the baking soda, the
  carrots, the bread crumbs and the Crisco, making sure that you mix well
  after adding each ingredient. This matters, so do it! You may have to get
  some help from King Kong to blend adequately after adding the shortening.
  
  Add, in sequence, the brown sugar, the beaten egg, the lemon extract and
  the vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Now, add the dry ingredients
  mixture, a bit at a time.  The mixture will be extremely thick and very
  difficult to mix.  Add the walnuts and the raisins.  Mix them in.  Go
  ahead. You're strong enough.
  
  Push the mixture into the tins, with each about 3/4 full, or a little more.
  Seal the tins with aluminum foil and use a rubber band to hold the foil on
  (the pudding should not be exposed directly to the steam).  Steam 1 1/2 to
  2 hours, (until the pudding seems uniform. You can't overcook it, so err on
  the long side, please!) and cool if you're not going to serve it right now.
  
  Make the sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a small
  saucepan and heating until it bubbles and all ingredients are dissolved. To
  serve, reheat by steaming for at least 45 minutes, or serve out of the
  original pot.
  
  NOTES:
  
  *  An old Welsh steamed carrot pudding -- This is a good steamed pudding,
  despite the list of ingredients that are "good for you".  The sauce
  (following the recipe) is not a necessity for good taste, only for
  authenticity, although I LIKE it with the sauce. Some add rum to this
  sauce.  Suit yourself.  I like it both ways.
  
  This is a very old recipe, I gathered it from my grandmother, who would
  have been 101 (sniff) this year, who learned it from her Welsh mother, who
  learned it from her... (in Wales), ergo it's at least 200+. Given its
  similarity to some late Medieval puddings, one might suspect that its
  origins are much earlier. I determined the quantities listed here by
  measuring what my grandmother tossed into the pot. Yield: makes about 5
  pounds.
  
  *  This stuff keeps in the fridge nearly forever (at least a month) as long
  as you don't let it dry out.
  
  *  Decant or spoon out (depends on if you want to be fancy or not) and
  serve with sauce. Then, don't eat for two days to make up for the calories.
  
  Difficulty:  moderate (considerable physical work required); Time:  1 hour
  preparation, 3 hours steaming;  Precision:  no need to measure.
  
  : Jim Johnston, (ihnp4;allegra;research)!alice!jj
  : AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ
  
  : Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust