Spotted Pup Pudding Recipes

SPOTTED DICK! TRADITIONAL BRITISH STEAMED FRUIT SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

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

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Butter bowl or ramekins, then dust with flour, knocking out excess. On parchment paper, trace circle slightly larger than diameter of bowl (or 8 circles slightly larger than ramekins). Cut out.
• Fill large, shallow, wide saucepan with 1 inch water. Add flat steamer or equally sized cookie cutters to create steaming platform just above water level.
• In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl periodically. Beat in vanilla.
• Sift flour into medium bowl. Gradually beat flour into egg mixture just until combined. Add 3 tablespoons milk and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add raisins and beat just until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared bowl or ramekins, smoothing top. Top bowl or ramekins with parchment paper circle(s), gently pressing on paper to make contact with batter.
• Over moderately high heat, bring water in steamer to simmer. Transfer bowl or ramekins to steamer, cover pan tightly, lower heat to moderate, and steam, adding more boiling water to pan if necessary, until pudding is set, about 2 hours for bowl or 1 hour for ramekins.
• Meanwhile, make custard sauce: In large bowl, whisk together custard powder, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons milk to form paste. In medium saucepan over moderate heat, bring remaining 2 cups plus 6 tablespoons milk to simmer. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk to custard paste. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Transfer pudding bowl or ramekins to rack and cool 5 minutes. Run paring knife around inside rim of bowl or ramekins and invert pudding(s) onto plate(s). Serve warm with custard sauce.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the suet, currants, sugar, lemon and orange zest.
• Pour in 150ml milk and mix to a firm but moist dough, adding the extra milk if necessary.
• Shape into a fat roll about 20cm long. Place on a large rectangle of baking parchment. Wrap loosely to allow for the pudding to rise and tie the ends with string like a Christmas cracker.
• Place a steamer over a large pan of boiling water, add the pudding to the steamer, cover and steam for 1½ hours. Top up the pan with water from time to time.
• Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve sliced with custard.

SPOTTED DICK WITH BRANDIED CURRANTS

Steps:

• Creme Anglaise:In a medium saucepan, bring milk, cream, and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer over medium heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt. While whisking, slowly add about half the hot milk mixture to temper, then return to saucepan with remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing with a flexible spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Pudding:In a small saucepan, heat currants and brandy until warm; let stand at room temperature until most of the brandy has been absorbed, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, set a round wire rack in bottom of a large stockpot. Set a 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come about three-quarters of the way up sides of bowl. Remove bowl; dry, butter inside, and set aside. Cover pot and bring to a boil.
• Butter a 10-inch parchment round; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in cold butter until pieces are no larger than small peas. Stir in eggs, cream, lemon zest and juice, and currant-brandy mixture until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared bowl. Place parchment round, buttered-side down, over bowl and top with foil to seal. Fold a long piece of foil into thirds and center bowl on foil. Pull ends of foil to top edge of bowl and carefully lower pudding into boiling water. Fold ends of foil down into pot and cover pot. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; steam until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding registers 180 degrees, about 1 hour 15 minutes, occasionally adding boiling water to maintain level, if necessary.
• Using foil sling, transfer pudding to a wire rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of bowl to loosen; invert pudding onto a serving plate. Serve warm with creme anglaise.

SPOTTED DICK

Steps:

• Set a round wire rack in bottom of a large stockpot. Set a 5-cup pudding basin or ovenproof bowl (or two 3-cup basins) on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come about three-quarters of the way up sides of basin. Remove basin; dry, and butter inside. Set aside. Cover pot, and bring to a boil.
• Butter a 10-inch round of parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until pieces are no larger than small peas. Stir in sugar, lemon zest, and currants. Stir in lemon juice, then eggs and milk; stir until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared basin. Place parchment round, buttered side down, over basin. Make a pleat in center of parchment. Cover with an 11-inch round of foil. Make a pleat in center of foil to allow room for pudding to expand. Cut a piece of kitchen twine about 7 feet long. Wrap twine twice around basin over foil, just below lip. Knot to secure. Tie loose ends to twine on other side of basin, creating a handle.
• Carefully lower pudding into boiling water, and cover pot. Return to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and steam until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding registers 180 degrees, about 2 hours, adding boiling water occasionally to maintain level.
• Transfer pudding to a wire rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of bowl to loosen; invert pudding onto a serving plate. Serve warm, with creme anglaise if desired.

SPOTTED DOG

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add raisins and toss well. Form a well.
• Break an egg in a 2-cup glass measuring cup and beat lightly. Add buttermilk to bring the volume up to 1 1/2 cups. Pour into the well in the flour. Using one hand, with the fingers open and stiff, mix the flour into the liquid. The dough should be soft, but not very sticky. DO NOT overwork the dough!
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Wash and thoroughly dry your hands; with floured hands, knead bread two or three times to clean up any shaggy edges. Pat into a round about 2" thick. Transfer to a floured baking sheet. Cut a deep cross in the top of the round, allowing the ends of the cuts to drop into the sides of the loaf. Prick the triangles thus formed several times with the tip of the knife.
• Place loaf in oven and reduce heat to 400°F Bake 35-40 minutes, until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Serve in thick slices with butter and jam, or with cheddar cheese.