Anoush Abour - an Armenian Christmas Pudding

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Yields:

Description
It's a sweet, fruity, nutty delicacy to be savored with loved ones.

Ingredients

 * 1 cup gorgod (skinless whole wheat)
 * 3 ½ quarts water
 * 1 cup sugar
 * 1 cup California apricots, finely chopped
 * 1 cup raisins (currants or yellow)
 * ½ cup pistachios
 * 1/3 cup pine nuts
 * Garnishes:
 * ¼ cup finely chopped filberts (hazelnuts)
 * ½ cup slivered almonds
 * ½ toasted pecans or walnuts
 * Ground cinnamon, to taste
 * Pomegranate seeds

Directions

 * 1) In a 6-quart pot, combine wheat and water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Cover and let rest overnight.
 * 2) Remove cover. Return to simmer. Simmer gorgod until water begins to thicken. The lower the simmer, the “whiter” the pudding will remain. After about 1 ½ to 2 hours of simmering, add the sugar and continue to simmer. The pudding will begin to take on a thicker consistency.
 * 3) While wheat is simmering, combine fruit, pistachios and pine nuts in a small saucepan with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Thoroughly drain. Add to pudding when pudding is cooled so that fruit will not bleed color into pudding.
 * 4) Pour into serving bowl. Garnish with filberts, slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts and cinnamon.
 * 5) Pomegranate seeds should either be incorporated into pudding uncooked or served separately as a garnish.