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Clootie dumpling

Clootie dumpling

clootie pudding

Scotland
BoiledSteamed

A spiced fruit pudding wrapped in cloth and simmered, traditionally served at holidays and family celebrations.

About this dish

A spiced fruit pudding wrapped in cloth and simmered, traditionally served at holidays and family celebrations. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.

Recipe

1 pudding
10 servings

Scottish clootie dumpling

  • 225 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 140 g sugar
  • 100 g shredded suet
  • 250 g mixed raisins, currants and chopped dates
  • 1 small apple (120 g), grated
  • 1 tbsp black treacle
  • 1 egg
  • 150 ml buttermilk

Cloth coating

  • 25 g flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Serve

  • 400 ml custard
  1. 1

    Use 225 g plain flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp mixed spice and the listed remaining ingredients. Mix dry ingredients, suet, fruit and apple. Beat treacle, egg and buttermilk, then stir into a soft dropping mixture. Mix dry ingredients evenly and stir wet ingredients only until moistened; mixture drops slowly, not pours.

  2. 2

    Cloth coating: 25 g flour; 1 tbsp sugar. Dip a clean food-safe pudding cloth in boiling water using tongs, wring carefully and dust a 30 cm central circle with coating flour and sugar. Use tongs and heatproof gloves with a clean strong food-safe cloth; coat evenly.

  3. 3

    Spoon mixture into the center, gather cloth and tie securely with expansion space. Set on a trivet in a large pot; add boiling water almost to cover. Tie with food-safe twine, leave expansion room and keep knot up and cloth off pan bottom.

  4. 4

    Cover and simmer gently 3-4 hours, topping up boiling water. A skewer should come out clean. Remove, rest 10 minutes and peel cloth away carefully. Top up with boiling water, test thickest center without wet batter and lift with support before unwrapping.

  5. 5

    Serve: 400 ml custard. Dry the pudding surface in a 150°C/300°F oven 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with custard. Preheat fully; oven time dries the surface, not an uncooked center. Slice and serve prepared custard separately.

Note

The cloth forms the traditional skin. Avoid direct contact with the pan base, and do not tie so tightly that the pudding cannot expand.