Spotted Dick
Traditional Spotted Dick recipe made with a light steamed suet sponge, juicy currants and a hint of lemon zest. Serve warm with plenty of hot custard for a classic British pudding.
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Servings: 6 portions
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 75 g Shredded Suet (vegetable or beef)
- 75 g Caster Sugar
- 75 g Currants
- Zest of 1 Lemon or Orange
- 1 Free-range Egg (beaten; see Egg Size note below)
- 100 ml Milk
EQUIPMENT
- Large Saucepan (with lid)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, suet and sugar together, then add the currants and lemon zest and stir through. Add the egg and mix.
- Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until you have a somewhat thick mixture (dropping consistency); you may not need all the milk.
- Generously grease a 1.2-litre (2 pint) pudding basin with butter/margarine, then spoon the mixture into it. Using your spoon, create a slight dip in the centre of the batter (this helps prevent it from rising too much).
- With a piece of greaseproof paper large enough to cover your pudding basin, fold a pleat in the middle before placing it over the top of your pudding bowl. Repeat with a piece of tin foil, and place it on top of your greaseproof paper before tightly tying it in place – around the top of the bowl – with a piece of twine. Trim away the excess greaseproof paper and tin foil before cooking.
- Place the pudding into a large pan with about 5-10cm of water around it. With the lid on, steam the pudding for 1 hour 45 minutes, keeping an eye on the pan so the water doesn't run dry. Top up with boiling water as required.
- Allow to cool a little before removing the pudding from the bowl, and serve while still warm with hot custard or a drizzle of golden syrup.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Self-raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 200g (1½ cups) plain flour and 2¾ teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.
Egg Size: When it comes to eggs, I always buy the Mixed-weight Free-range Eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn't make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean into the extremes. But with that in mind, medium-sized eggs are probably the best option if you are unsure what size eggs to use.
Substitutions
- Suet: Vegetable suet and beef suet can be used interchangeably in this recipe. If you can't find suet, grated frozen butter, lard or vegetable shortening can be used instead, although the finished pudding will have a slightly different flavour and texture.
- Currants: Currants are traditional, but raisins or sultanas can be used if that's what you prefer or have to hand.
- Lemon Zest: Lemon zest is my favourite, but orange zest works just as well. You can also use a dash of vanilla extract if you prefer, or a lemon/orange extract if you don't have any fresh fruit to hand.
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