Scottish Cloutie Dumplings

This delicious pudding a traditional favorite in Scotland is similar to a Christmas pudding and takes its name form the "cloutie" or cloth in which it is cooked.

Ingredients

140 ml milk

110g black treacle

2 eggs size 3 beaten

340g fine wholemeal flour

110g Granary breadcrumbs

3 teaspoons ground mixed spice

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

230g vegetable or beef suet

230g muscovado sugar

230g sultanas

230g large seedless raisins

280g currants

2 large carrots peeled and grated

A large cloth or tea towel scalded in boiling water

Method

Gently heat the milk with the treacle until the treacle has completely dissolved.

Leave to cool then mix with the beaten eggs.

Mix the flour breadcrumbs mixed spice baking powder suet muscovado sugar sultanas raisins currants and grated carrots together in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.

Stir in the milk and treacle mixture to make a soft but not runny consistency adding a little more milk if necessary.

Lightly flour the scalded cloth.

Put a steamer large pan or preserving pan of water on to boil.

Tip the pudding mixture into the centre of the cloth and draw up the edges to shape the pudding into a ball.

Tie the cloth securely with string leaving a little room for expansion.

Gently lower into the boiling water or steamer.

If using a preserving pan the pudding can be suspended from the handle.

Cover and cook for 3 hours topping up the pan with extra boiling water from time to time as necessary.

Remove the pudding from the pan and place on a tray.

Leave to rest for about 10 minutes before removing the cloth.

Serve the cloutie dumpling thickly sliced with custard.

Leftover pudding can be served like a cake or with butter and jam and will keep for several days.

Serves 8