Spotted Dick! Traditional British Steamed Fruit Sponge Pudding

French Tart's Note:

I am finally posting my recipe for Spotted Dick! This delicious steamed sponge pudding with currants is a British schoolboy favourite from the days when school dinners were not only tasty and nourishing, but may have been the only hot meal of the day for some children. Originally, Spotted Dick would have been made with beef suet and breadcrumbs - this recipe has been updated for modern tastes, and uses vegetarian suet or butter with flour. Serve this with English custard for a comforting and nostalgic flavour explosion! Steaming is so easy, and whilst it bubbles and simmers away, you are free to do other things around the kitchen, such as prepare the custard!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 1.0 Spotted ...

• 100 g self raising flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 50 g shredded vegetable suet or 50 g grated frozen butter
• 50 g caster sugar
• 50 g currants
• 50 g mixed citrus peels
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Grease a 600 ml (1 pint) pudding basin.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Add the egg and sufficient milk to produce a smooth dropping consistency.
4. Place the mixture into prepared pudding basin.
5. Cover with pleated greaseproof paper and foil and steam for about 1½ hours.
6. Turn out and serve hot with custard or syrup.

Reviews

[wedrinktea'ere]

I've been married to an Englishman for almost 9 years and this is my first attempt at steaming a pudding! It turned out FABULOUS! First off, I had no mixed peel, OR currants, so I just substituted all raisins. For some reason I needed to microwave mine to get them *officially done*. The steaming DID cook them 4/5 of the way, but the minute in the microwave completed it and they TASTE SO GOOD!!!! Thank you for encouraging me to finally make an english pudding.

[Sydney Mike]

OK, I admit it ~ I tagged this recipe because of its name! A year or so ago some friends of mine found a tin of spotted dick in a specialty store in San Diego & gave it to me as a gift! It was OK, but nothing special ~ just another kind of bland English food! HOWEVER, comparing that tin of pudding to the pudding made with this recipe is like comparing a bean dish made with canned green beans to a dish made with fresh one ~ THERE IS NO COMPARISON! This recipe helped me make a wonderfully nice-tasting steamed pudding, which, I would like to think, is exactly the way Spotted Dick should taste! I had vegetable suet still from other recent baking, but another time might use the frozen butter! I also did more than might be usual with the citrus peel, since for the zest I minced peel from grapefruit, lemon, orange & lime! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe! [Tagged, made & reviewed in the Newest Zaar Tag game]