Hi All,:rose:
I am feeling quite patriotic today so if you fancy trying a traditional English recipe, then you might like to try out this common traditional English favourite. Although, like 'Winnie the Pooh' it has a name which can induce a few school boy sniggers, for many of us Brits, it brings back some fond memories of Junior school dinners and Nanny's or Mum's home cooking. It has been called 'nursery food' because of it's homely, comforting texture. This pudding is a heavy, very filling and lovely winter warmer served for afters.
I have abreviated the name so as not to cause offense to any American Brothers or Sisters who may not have heard of it!
As England adopts a more cosmopolitan and fast food type lifestyle, many of the cooking knowledge and skills of our parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents have not been past on and are unfortunately seeming to become extinct in favour of ready made ingredients and foreign meals. So here is one of my favourites and one of the many dishes that I feel contributes to our English heritage as much as haggis does to Scotland! So if you have a 'healthy appitite' please enjoy some decent comfort food with love from dear old Blighty
Ingredients for Spotted Di..
8 oz Self-raising flour
4 oz Shredded suet
8 oz Currants or Raisins
150 ml Cold Water
1 oz Sugar
1 pinch salt
Method 1: (pudding cloth)
1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, suet and the currents/raisins. Keep mixing and add a little water at a time until the whole becomes a firm dough.
2. Roll into a long cylindrical shape that is about 8 inches long.
3. Take a previously boiled pudding cloth, dry and then dust with flour and wrap it around the dough cylinder. Tie off each end of the cloth but take care to leave a little room between the ends of the dough cylinder and the cloth to allow for expansion when steaming or have a folded crease in the cloth.
4. Put into a large pan of boiling water and boil for approx 2 hours - top up the pan with boiling water and do not allow to boil dry.
Method 2: (no pudding cloth).
1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, suet and the currents/raisins. Keep mixing and add a little water at a time until the whole becomes a firm dough.
2. Roll into a long cylindrical shape that is about 8 inches long.
3. Carefully place the rolled pastry into a small pan that is close to 8 inches diameter as possible.
4. Place this smaller pan into a larger one then fill the larger pan with boiling water - but do not fill so that the water spills into the smaller pan. This is to make a steamer to 'steam' the pudding.
5. Put on the lid to the larger pan and steam for about 2¼ hours - making sure that the water is topped up in the outer pan with boiling water.
Method 3:
For Microwaving I found this guide I have not tried it yet though.
Fill pudding basin up to two thirds and cover loosely to allow steam to escape.
Microwave on FULL power. 3½ minutes at 800W or 4 minutes at 650W.
The pudding is cooked when it's firm and just dry on the surface.
God Bless you with love and hugs from your little old English Rose,
Eve
ps I have heard that if you have difficulty getting hold of suet you might be able to substitute margarine (I have not tried this though myself)! Also in my opinion this desert has to be served covered with warm custard.
I am feeling quite patriotic today so if you fancy trying a traditional English recipe, then you might like to try out this common traditional English favourite. Although, like 'Winnie the Pooh' it has a name which can induce a few school boy sniggers, for many of us Brits, it brings back some fond memories of Junior school dinners and Nanny's or Mum's home cooking. It has been called 'nursery food' because of it's homely, comforting texture. This pudding is a heavy, very filling and lovely winter warmer served for afters.
I have abreviated the name so as not to cause offense to any American Brothers or Sisters who may not have heard of it!
As England adopts a more cosmopolitan and fast food type lifestyle, many of the cooking knowledge and skills of our parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents have not been past on and are unfortunately seeming to become extinct in favour of ready made ingredients and foreign meals. So here is one of my favourites and one of the many dishes that I feel contributes to our English heritage as much as haggis does to Scotland! So if you have a 'healthy appitite' please enjoy some decent comfort food with love from dear old Blighty
Ingredients for Spotted Di..
8 oz Self-raising flour
4 oz Shredded suet
8 oz Currants or Raisins
150 ml Cold Water
1 oz Sugar
1 pinch salt
Method 1: (pudding cloth)
1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, suet and the currents/raisins. Keep mixing and add a little water at a time until the whole becomes a firm dough.
2. Roll into a long cylindrical shape that is about 8 inches long.
3. Take a previously boiled pudding cloth, dry and then dust with flour and wrap it around the dough cylinder. Tie off each end of the cloth but take care to leave a little room between the ends of the dough cylinder and the cloth to allow for expansion when steaming or have a folded crease in the cloth.
4. Put into a large pan of boiling water and boil for approx 2 hours - top up the pan with boiling water and do not allow to boil dry.
Method 2: (no pudding cloth).
1. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, suet and the currents/raisins. Keep mixing and add a little water at a time until the whole becomes a firm dough.
2. Roll into a long cylindrical shape that is about 8 inches long.
3. Carefully place the rolled pastry into a small pan that is close to 8 inches diameter as possible.
4. Place this smaller pan into a larger one then fill the larger pan with boiling water - but do not fill so that the water spills into the smaller pan. This is to make a steamer to 'steam' the pudding.
5. Put on the lid to the larger pan and steam for about 2¼ hours - making sure that the water is topped up in the outer pan with boiling water.
Method 3:
For Microwaving I found this guide I have not tried it yet though.
Fill pudding basin up to two thirds and cover loosely to allow steam to escape.
Microwave on FULL power. 3½ minutes at 800W or 4 minutes at 650W.
The pudding is cooked when it's firm and just dry on the surface.
God Bless you with love and hugs from your little old English Rose,
Eveps I have heard that if you have difficulty getting hold of suet you might be able to substitute margarine (I have not tried this though myself)! Also in my opinion this desert has to be served covered with warm custard.
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