Recipe#017: 'Clootie' Dumpling

Clootie refers to the cloth that this fruit pudding is traditionally made in. Delicious served hot with custard. Leftovers can be fried in a wee bit of butter to re-heat and have with a cup of tea. It was traditionally made for special occasions like a birthday, Hogmanay or at Christmas time when trinkets, coins and lucky gifts were dropped into the mixture, wrapped in greaseproof paper. Joan made this for a few of our fondly remembered birthdays. Finding money in food is always a good surprise.


This traditional Scottish recipe, makes a rather large heavy pudding serving roughly 10 people.
In more resent years, a smaller more lighter tasting carrot pudding has replaced this one at Joan's.
It will follow in a future post.

Ingredients:

1 lb self-raising flour
1/4 lb currants
1/4 lb sultanas
1/4 lb shredded suet
3-4 tblsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3-4 tblsp sugar

Instructions:

Mix all dry ingredients.
Blend to stiff dough with milk
make into round shape on floured board
Place in large wet piece of cotton folding corners over into the middle
Lie loosely in dish towel
Place on plate in large pan
Fill pan 1/3 fill with water careful not to get any into pudding bowl
Boil for 2 hrs keeping enough water in pan
When done, let sit to dry in warm oven

Serve presently, with warm vanilla custard