Fruit Pudding (Scottish Clootie Dumpling)

A traditional Clootie Dumpling recipe is deeply embedded in Scottish cooking; it is part of the hearth and home approach which makes the food of Scotland so loved everywhere. The spicy scent of a cooking clootie conjures up images of Scotland's past; a time when grandmothers would spend hours at the stove making this lovely pudding. The fruit-spice laden suet pudding is famed for the role it plays in Scottish celebrations, and no Hogmanay, or Burn's Night Supper would be complete without one. The dumpling is not reserved just for celebrations, it is a favoured pudding and lovely served with whisky-laden custard or ice cream. This Clootie Dumpling recipe uses oatmeal, which is a preferred method in North-East Scotland. You will find other versions using breadcrumbs throughout the country. The Clootie in the recipe name refers to the cloth - a cloot - and is used to cook the dumpling in, it is a large cotton cloth or piece of muslin.

4 oz suet (125 g)
8 oz all-purpose flour, unbleached (250 g)
4 oz oatmeal (125 g)
8 oz mixed sultanas and currants (250 g)
1 Tbsp. golden syrup
3 oz sugar (75 g)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached for the cloot

Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil.

In a large baking bowl, rub the suet into the flour. Add the oatmeal, baking powder, sugar, sultanas, dried currants, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir well then add the beaten eggs and the golden syrup. Stir thoroughly and add milk, a little at a time, to bind the ingredients together to create a firm dough. (Be careful not to over mix or make the mixture too sloppy—it should be firm to the touch.)

Put the clootie cloth into a clean sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over, and once cool enough to touch, ring the cloth out. Place the cloth on your work surface and sprinkle with flour.

Place the dumpling mixture into the center of the clootie, gather up the edges of the cloth and tie up but not too tightly; leave a little room for the dumpling to expand.

Place a saucer or tea plate upside down into a large cooking pot. Place the tied cloot onto the saucer, cover with boiling water, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. (From time to time check that the water is not boiling dry and top up if needed.)

Once cooked, carefully remove the dumpling from the water. Remove the cloth then sprinkle the dumpling with a little caster sugar.

Preheat oven to 225°F (100°C).

Bake for 30 minutes, or until shiny skin forms. If you wish to be more traditional, then dry the sugar-covered dumpling in front of an open fire.

Slice and serve the clootie dumpling with custard or ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• For the adults, you can add a little whiskey or Drambuie to the custard or ice cream to create a perfect match.
• Refrigerate any leftover dumplings, covered. Enjoy them within a couple of days for the best quality. You may want to warm the clootie in the microwave briefly to bring out all of the flavours.