Hi everyone. Don’t know about you, but my stick-thin (how the hell does he do it?) significant half, loves his puddings. He is a genuine London Cockney and says he grew up eating this pudding at least once every week. He says the way I make it is “almost but not quite” as good as the way his mum used to make it. Humph!  Yet my sons say it is the one pudding I make that they absolutely love. Of course I believe them more than him. LOL.

Here then is the legendary English pudding that usually has our American friends sniggering and saying Spotted WHAT? - when they hear the name for the first time. I can guarantee you though, once tasted, never forgotten.  This is the quintessential English Pudding that is nothing short of a crime if it is served with anything other than a lovely vanilla Custard. The original recipe uses Currants but quite a few now prefer to use Sultanas or a mix of both. Entirely up to you.

No-one seems to have worked out where the origins of this cheekily named English Pud came from. I did look it up online and the only explanation I could find was that the word spotted most likely referred to the currants, but Dick? One can only assume it was someone called Richard who first invented the pud, or the word comes from a corruption of the word Pudding (Puddick)?  Who knows, who cares? The taste more than makes up for the giggly name. At least you will have the recipe to-hand if you decide one day to make it. You won’t regret it and feel sure you will agree, it is really delicious.

NOTE: Spotted Dick is usually made here in the UK with SUET. I understand that this is practically impossible to purchase in the USA  (It is not to be confused with Lard, which is not the same thing at all), and never to buy Pet Suet as it is usually old and full of chemicals. YUK!

I am therefore putting the recipe below which omits the SUET but still makes a delicious Spotted Dick Pudding.  

TRADITIONAL SPOTTED DICK

Serves 6.   Prep time: 15 minutes.    Cook time 1½ hours (but oh so worth it).

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of All Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon of Salt

10 Tablespoons of diced cubed butter

2/3rds of a Cup of Granulated or Caster Sugar

1 Cup dried currants or Sultanas or half of both

¾ Cup Milk

2 Teaspoons quality Vanilla Extract

Zest of one large Lemon

Place either cookie cutters, a folded cloth or crumpled aluminium foil at the bottom of a large stock pot to prevent the bowl from touching the bottom of the stock pot.

Add water and bring to a boil. Generously grease a pudding mould.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course sand.

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Now add the Lemon Zest, Milk, Vanilla Extract and the currants and/or Sultanas and stir until combined.

Scoop the batter mixture into the greased pudding mould and secure the top with a lid if you have one, otherwise a double folded piece of aluminium  with string tied around the top to secure it as a lid.

Gently place the pudding mould into the stock pot, ensuring that the boiling water only comes  up to the half-way point of the pudding mould

Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the pudding simmer untouched for 90 minutes.

(keep an eye now and again just to ensure water is up to half way mark) add more boiling water if necessary

After 90 minutes, remove the pudding mould from the stockpot. Allow to stand for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a warm plate. It is now ready to be served with English Custard.

REAL PROPER ENGLISH CUSTARD.

1 x pint of Milk

2 x fl.oz of Single Cream

½ Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Pod.

4 Eggs (Yolks only)

1 x ounce Caster Sugar

2 x level Teaspoons Cornflour.

Bring the Milk, Cream and if using a Vanilla Pod, to a simmering point over a low heat.

(if using Vanilla Extract - do not put in with the Milk and Cream yet).

In a bowl, whisk the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornflour together until they are well blended.

Pour the hot Milk and Cream onto the Egg/Sugar/Cornflour mix ensuring you whisk it all the time with a balloon whisk as you do so.

Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and if using Vanilla Extract, add this now by stirring it in.

Now, using a wooden spatula, slowly over a gentle heat, stir the Custard until it thickens.

Pour this gorgeous English Custard over your just made Spotted Dick Steamed Pudding and you will be in seventh heaven…..also in big trouble for breaking your diet if on one. LOL.

Enjoy, I’m off to make a good ol’ cuppa Tea. Bi for now xx