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1
Steam your pudding in a deep pot with a tight-fitting lid, so that the steam has room to circulate.
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2
Keep a kettle of hot water on hand to refill the pot if necessary.
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3
Do not allow the pudding to cool much longer than fifteen minutes, or you may have trouble removing it from the mold.
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4
Generously butter a 7 1/2-cup steam-pudding mold, and set aside.
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5
In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, 1/4 cup kirsch, and cinnamon stick.
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6
Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.
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7
Reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cranberries break down and mixture thickens.
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8
Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick, and cool.
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9
Evenly spread 1/2 cup of the cooled cranberry mixture onto the bottom of the pudding mold, and set aside.
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10
Meanwhile, prepare the hot-water bath: Fill a large, 11-by-5 1/4-inch pot one-third full with water.
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11
Set over high heat, and bring to a boil.
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12
Reduce heat to low, cover, and keep at a simmer until pudding is ready to cook.
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13
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
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14
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about four minutes.
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15
Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, mixing until completely blended.
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16
In three additions, alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and blending well after each addition.
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17
Add dried cranberries and the remaining cranberry mixture to the batter, and mix until well blended.
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18
Pour batter into pudding mold to within 1/2 an inch of the top, and cover mold tightly with its lid (if the mold doesn't have a lid, cover with a round of parchment paper and then aluminum foil, and secure with a rubber band).
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19
Submerge a folded dish towel or a round sack onto the bottom of the large water-bath pot.
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20
Place the pudding mold into the water bath, resting on the towel, so that the water comes halfway up the sides of the mold.
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21
Cover the water bath, and gently simmer the pudding for about 2 hours and 20 minutes, or until pudding has set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
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22
Remove pudding mold from the water bath and cool 15 minutes on a wire rack.
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23
Meanwhile, pour cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
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24
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch and sifted confectioners' sugar.
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25
Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
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26
Unmold pudding onto a serving platter.
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27
Serve with kirsch-flavored whipped cream.
