Last weekend Dad requested a clootie dumpling for his birthday bake of choice. For all the non Scottish folk reading, this is basically a fruit cake boiled in a cloth i.e. a "cloot."
Clootie dumplings, also known as clootie puddings or duffs, can vary in recipe. Some people include suet and breadcrumbs or extra fruit such as grated apple, dates or orange zest, but the recipe I use (from my Aunty Janice) is fairly plain: lots of treacle and golden syrup, spice and sultanas.
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It's one of those old fashioned, heavy, wintery puds which will divide opinion. I was unsure whether it would appeal to my nephews so I also baked a plain sponge cake, but I think the pudding went down pretty well with everybody.
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My clootie was a bit drier in texture compared to the last one I made a few years ago (probably because I accidently almost boiled it dry!) but the flavour was still great - treacley, spiced and comforting with juicy bursts of sultanas.
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My clootie was a bit drier in texture compared to the last one I made a few years ago (probably because I accidently almost boiled it dry!) but the flavour was still great - treacley, spiced and comforting with juicy bursts of sultanas.
Perfect served warm from the pot with a dollop of ice cream.
Aunty Janice's clootie dumpling
Janice's method is to wrap the mixture in a greased and floured layer of greaseproof paper before wrapping up in a damp dishcloth to boil, which means all the grubbiness goes on the paper instead of the cloot. It makes washing up easier!
1lb plain flour
8oz margarine
6oz caster sugar
1 lb dried fruit such as sultanas or raisins
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
2 dessert spoons treacle
2 dessert spoons golden syrup
enough milk to moisten
Lay out two large lengths of greaseproof paper, overlapped - enough to wrap round your pudding which will end up roughly 7 inches in diameter. Thoroughly grease with margarine (including the overlap to help it stick) and dust with a coating of flour. This will form the clootie's "skin." Dampen a plain dishcloth and lay it out.
Put a flat, heat proof side plate in the bottom of a large, heavy based pot (for your clootie to sit on.) Fill the pot with about 1L water and put on the hob to warm up at a low heat.
In a very large bowl rub together the flour and margarine. Stir in the sugar, fruit, bicarbonate of soda and spices. In a small saucepan heat up the treacle and syrup until warm then remove from the heat and add a drop of milk to cool it down. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg and cooled treacle mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and add a little more milk if needed. The mixture should stay fairly thick though, reluctant to drop off the spoon.
Heap the mixture into the centre of the greaseproof paper sheet then gather the paper edges up over the mixture. Tie tightly together with a length of string, leaving about an inch of space between the mixture and where you tie to allow it to grow during cooking. Wrap the damp dishcloth over the top and tie the ends together on top of your previous tie.
Pop the clootie into the pot and add more water to the pot until it's about half way up the pudding. Put the lid on top and leave to boil at a low heat, with the plate lightly rattling at the base of the pot, for 3 hours. Check on it every half hour or so to top up with more water if necessary. Do not boil it dry!
After 3 hours remove from the pot and untie from the cloth and paper. It's best served warm with cream, ice cream or custard, but it is also lovely cold.