| Cloutie Dumpling |
| ingredients: |
4
oz shredded suet or margarine
(marge makes a lighter dumpling)
8 oz (2½ cups) flour
4 oz oatmeal
3 oz sugar
Rounded teaspoon baking powder
8 oz mixed currants/sultanas/chopped
raisins
One or 1½ teaspoon each
of ground cinnamon and mixed spice
One teaspoon golden syrup (light
corn syrup is the closest in N
America)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 tablespoons buttermilk |
|
|
| method: |
Sift the flour and rub in the
fat (suet or margarine) in a large
mixing bowl. Add all the other
dry ingredients and mix with a
wooden spoon. Make a well in the
centre and add the syrup and eggs
and mix well. Add enough buttermilk
to make a soft but firm batter.
At Christmas, cooks often wrapped
small coins (in the old days a
silver three-penny piece was popular)
in greaseproof paper and placed
them in the dumpling. If you do
add coins, warn those eating the
dumpling later so as to avoid
broken teeth!
You now have a choice of container.
The traditional way was with a
cloth. Dip it first in boiling
water and flour it well before
adding the mixture. Tie the top,
making sure there is enough room
for expansion. Place a saucer
or plate in the bottom of a saucepan
and stand the dumpling in the
cloth on top. Cover with boiling
water and cook for 2½ to
3 hours.
Alternatively, you can use an
8-cup basin or pudding steamer
which has been lightly greased
with melted butter. Allow a one
inch space at the top (even if
this means throwing away some
of the mixture - you need the
saoce for expansion). Cover the
steamer or basin with a greased
sheet of foil and pour boiling
water into the steamer until it
comes two-thirds up the side.
Boil for 3 hours.
Turn out the dumpling and either
serve hot with custard or cold
with cream. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
