Traditional Spotted Dick – UK Dessert

Step 1: Prepare the Pudding Bowl

Grease and flour a 1-liter (2-pint) non-stick pudding bowl. For extra protection, stick a small circle of parchment paper to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 2: Sift Dry Ingredients

Sift the 225g (8oz) plain/all-purpose flour, 10g (2½ tsp) baking powder, 2g (¼ tsp) salt, and 4g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Push any lumps through the sieve with your fingers.

Step 3: Add Dried Fruit, Sugar, and Suet

Add 170g (6oz) currants, 85g (3oz) caster sugar, and 100g (3½oz) shredded suet (or grated ice-cold butter) to the bowl with the sifted ingredients.

Step 4: Mix Dry Ingredients and Zest

Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Add the zest of one lemon or orange (or both) and mix it in with your fingers. Grate 2g (½ tsp) of fresh nutmeg into the mixture and mix again.

Step 5: Add Wet Ingredients and Form Dough

Pour in 125ml of milk (full or half fat) and 6ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon handle to bring the mixture together, then switch to a bowl scraper to finish forming a cohesive dough. If the dough is a little sticky, dust it with a little flour.

Step 6: Transfer Dough to Bowl

Transfer the thoroughly mixed dough into the greased and floured pudding bowl. Gently press it down with your fingers or a spatula to ensure it's evenly distributed.

Step 7: Cover and Prepare for Steaming

Cut a large circle of parchment paper and create a pleat down the middle to allow for expansion. Place it over the pudding bowl and fasten it securely using food-safe twine or a strong elastic band.

Step 8: Steam the Pudding

Place the pudding bowl into a steamer base with plenty of simmering water. Ensure the bowl is centered to allow steam to flow evenly. Put the steamer onto its base on the stove, cover with the lid, and turn the heat down to its lowest possible setting. Gently steam for 2 hours. Check the water level after 1 hour and top up with boiling water if necessary.

Step 9: Rest and Unmold

Once steaming is complete, carefully remove the steamer from the heat. Lift the pudding bowl out of the steamer using oven gloves or a lifting device and place it on a cutting board or wire rack. Cut the string or elastic band, remove the parchment paper, and let the pudding rest in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Then, turn the pudding out onto the board; it should pop straight out. Peel off the small parchment circle from the bottom.

Step 10: Slice and Serve

Using a sharp knife, cut a slice of the Spotted Dick and transfer it onto a serving plate or dessert bowl. Serve immediately with plenty of hot vanilla custard.

• If using self-raising flour, use only 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

• If you don't have suet, grate the same amount of ice-cold butter or any other baking fat into the mix instead.

• If your dough is a little sticky, dust it with a little flour.

• When steaming, ensure the water level in the steamer base doesn't boil dry; check after 1 hour and top up with boiling water if needed.

• For a vegetarian version, use vegetable suet or butter instead of beef suet.

• Use other dried fruits or peels instead of currants.

• For an alternative cooking method without a steamer, place a saucer at the bottom of a large pan to prevent the bowl from being directly in contact with heat. Put the bowl on the saucer, add boiling water to just over halfway up the bowl, and simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes.