Scottish Dumpling Loaf Recipes

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH CLOOTIE DUMPLING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil.
• In a large mixing bowl, rub the suet into the flour until it resembles cornmeal. Add the oatmeal, sultanas, dried currants, sugar, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir well.
• Add the beaten eggs and the golden syrup. Stir thoroughly.
• Add the milk, a little at a time, to bind the ingredients together to create a firm dough. Be careful not to over mix or make the mixture too sloppy-it should be firm to the touch.
• Put the clootie cloth into a clean sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over, and once cool enough to touch, ring the cloth out. Place the cloth on your work surface and sprinkle with flour.
• Place the dumpling mixture into the center of the clootie. Gather up the edges of the cloth and tie up but not too tightly, leave a little room for the dumpling to expand.
• Place a saucer or tea plate upside down into a large cooking pot. Place the tied clootie onto the saucer and cover with boiling water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Check that the water is not boiling dry from time to time and add water if needed.
• Once cooked, carefully remove the dumpling from the water. Remove the cloth then sprinkle the dumpling with a little caster sugar . Preheat the oven to 225 F/100 C.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until a shiny skin forms. If you wish to be more traditional, then dry the sugar-covered dumpling in front of an open fire.
• Slice and serve the clootie dumpling with custard or ice cream. Enjoy!

SCOTTISH DUMPLING LOAF

Steps:

• Put all ingredients except flour, baking soda and eggs, into a pot and bring to a boil.
• Let cool.
• Into a large bowl, put 2 cups of all purpose flour, and 1 tsp of baking soda.
• Add cooled mixture and mix well.
• Beat two eggs and add to mixture.
• Line 2- 1 lb loaf pans with parchment paper (or you can use a 2 lb. loaf pan) and divide the mixture between the two pans (or put it all in the one 2 lb. pan) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 1 hour on middle shelf.
• (Since all ovens are different, I usually check after about 3/4 of an hour. Insert a skewer in the middle of the loaf to see if it comes out clean).

CLOOTIE DUMPLING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, currants, raisins, suet, bread crumbs and sugar. Mix egg and milk with mixed spice, baking powder, salt and molasses. Stir into flour mixture to form a wet dough.
• Dip a heavy cotton cloth in boiling water and then sprinkle it with flour. Place dough in center of cloth, draw opposite corners together to form a ball, leaving a bit of room for the dumpling to expand, and tie tightly with twine to seal.
• Place the dumpling in the boiling water, reduce heat to a low boil, and cook 3 1/2 hours, topping water off as needed. Remove the dumpling from the water, remove the cloth and dry the dumpling in front of a fire or in a 150 degree oven until surface is no longer wet. Serve.

SCOTTISH DUMPLING CAKE

Steps:

• Grease an empty 2 lb. coffee can and set aside.
• Mix dry ingredients together.
• Beat together Crisco and egg; add to dry ingredients. Then add milk and mix well. Add raisins.
• Put into well greased coffee can. Cover with wax paper and tie with string. Cover with foil and tie again.
• Place in pan of simmering water (deep enough to cover can 3/4 of the way to the top).
• Simmer for 3 1/2 hours, replacing water as necessary.
• Cool 15 minutes. Run a knife down sides of can to slide cake onto plate.

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Blend all ingredients well. Dough will be stiff.
• Press into a 9 x 9 inch buttered dish. Prick top with a fork.
• Bake until pale golden brown on the edges. Cool and cut into squares.

CLOOTIE DUMPLING

Steps:

• Wet your tea towel or cloth and baking parchment under the tap then squeeze out the excess moisture. Spread out the towel on the work surface then place two pieces of parchment (the length and width of the tea towel) in a cross on top and lightly oil or butter them. Put a very large pan of water on to boil with an upturned plate in the base.
• Tip the breadcrumbs, flour, suet, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, spices and dried fruit in a large bowl and stir to mix. Whisk the treacle or syrup into the milk and egg using a fork until well blended then stir the mixture into the dried ingredients with the blade of a cutlery knife to make a soft dough.
• Dust the paper generously with sifted flour then place the dough in the centre of the cross and shape into a round with your hands. Bring the paper up round the pudding and tie at the top with string. Trim off the excess paper with scissors then wrap in the cloth and tie in the same way. Lower into the pan of simmering water, cover with a lid and boil for 3 hours until firm. Check the water level every now and then and top it up if necessary.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C /gas 4. Tip the pudding into a colander to drain and then carefully peel off the cloth and paper. Place the pudding on an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 mins to dry it off and produce the classic skin. Serve sliced with custard, cream or ice cream and a dram of whisky if you like.