19^th Century: Spotted Dick

Name: 19 Century: Spotted Dick
Yield: Makes 1 pudding in a 17 cm (6½ inch/No. 30) basin (mould)
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 1 egg; 200 ml (7 fl oz) milk; 150 g (5½ oz) currants, soaked in water, brandy or rum; 150 g (5½ oz) currants, soaked in water, brandy or rum; 150 g (5½ oz) currants, soaked in water, brandy or rum; 150 g (5½ oz) currants, soaked in water, brandy or rum; 300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour; 130 g (4½ oz) shredded suet; 50 g (1¾ oz) raw sugar; a pinch of ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation info

Makes
1
pudding in a 17 cm 6½ inch /No. 30) basin (mould)

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Pride and Pudding

By Regula Ysewijn

Published 2016

About

Mentioning this pudding to people unfamiliar with British food always generates great amusement. Its etymology is the culprit, though an entirely innocent explanation can be provided. ‘Dick’ is simply an old dialect pronunciation of ‘dough’, just like ‘duff’ in plum duff.

The first documented recipe for spotted dick appeared in A Shilling Cookery for The People in 1854:

Ingredients

Europe
United Kingdom
Dessert
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Method