AI-generated image
Clootie dumpling
Spiced fruit pudding boiled in a cloth, with its shiny 'skin'
BritishThe clootie dumpling takes its name from the cloot, the cotton cloth it is boiled in, and it is the birthday and Hogmanay pudding of Scottish grannies from Fife to the Borders. It is a dense, dark, spiced fruit pudding with a sticky skin that forms when the floured cloth is dried in front of the oven. Leftover slices are fried for breakfast. Traditional recipes use beef suet; this one uses vegetable suet so it stays vegetarian. Chef's tip: dust the scalded cloth thickly with flour before filling it; that flour is what forms the famous skin.
- Total time
- 270 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 8 oz self-raising flourplus 3 tbsp for the cloth
- 3 ½ oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 3 ⅞ oz vegetable suet
- 3 ⅞ oz soft dark brown sugar
- 5 ½ oz sultanas
- 5 ½ oz currants
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups custard (optional)to serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 8 oz self-raising flour (keep the 3 tbsp aside), 3 ½ oz fresh white breadcrumbs, 3 ⅞ oz vegetable suet, 3 ⅞ oz soft dark brown sugar, 5 ½ oz sultanas, 5 ½ oz currants, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
5 minStep 2: Warm the 2 tbsp black treacle and 1 tbsp golden syrup with the 1 cup milk until runny, then stir into the dry mix to a soft, dropping consistency.
5 minStep 3: Put a large cotton cloth (about 60 cm square) in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Wring it out, spread it flat and sprinkle thickly with the reserved flour.
5 minStep 4: Spoon the mix into the middle, gather up the cloth and tie with string, leaving room for the pudding to swell. A common mistake is tying it tight against the mixture, which makes it split.
5 minStep 5: Sit it on an upturned saucer in a large pan of simmering water that comes three-quarters of the way up. Cover and simmer for 3½–4 hours, topping up with boiling water.
240 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Lift out the dumpling, dip briefly in cold water, untie and peel off the cloth. Put it on a plate in the oven for 10–15 minutes until the skin turns shiny and leathery. Serve in slices with hot 2 cups custard.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does clootie dumpling take?
- About 270 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of self-raising flour?
- Plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder per 150g (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of fresh white breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cake
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walalu
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.