Clootie dumpling
Add to favourite + Print Print

Clootie dumpling

By Sara Buenfeld

This traditional steamed Scottish pudding is made with dried fruit and spices. Enjoy on Burns night with a wee dram and custard or ice cream to serve

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:3 hrs 30 mins
  • Serves 8
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 499
  • fat 21g
  • saturates 11g
  • carbs 68g
  • sugars 39g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 7g
  • salt 1.17g

Ingredients

  • sunflower oil or butter for greasing
  • 175g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 175g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 175g beef suet
  • 100g dark soft brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 100g currants
  • 175g sultanas
  • 2 tbsp black treacle or golden syrup
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 long lengths of baking parchment
  • a large tea towel, baking cloth (we used one from Waitrose) or square of muslin
  • string

Tip

What's in a name?

The name clootie comes from the cloth it‘s boiled in as cloot is scots for cloth. Traditionally you would boil the dumpling straight on the cloth rather than lining it with paper first. You can also steam it in a pudding basin if you prefer.

Method

  1. Wet your tea towel or cloth and baking parchment under the tap then squeeze out the excess moisture. Spread out the towel on the work surface then place two pieces of parchment (the length and width of the tea towel) in a cross on top and lightly oil or butter them. Put a very large pan of water on to boil with an upturned plate in the base.

  2. Tip the breadcrumbs, flour, suet, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, spices and dried fruit in a large bowl and stir to mix. Whisk the treacle or syrup into the milk and egg using a fork until well blended then stir the mixture into the dried ingredients with the blade of a cutlery knife to make a soft dough.

  3. Dust the paper generously with sifted flour then place the dough in the centre of the cross and shape into a round with your hands. Bring the paper up round the pudding and tie at the top with string. Trim off the excess paper with scissors then wrap in the cloth and tie in the same way. Lower into the pan of simmering water, cover with a lid and boil for 3 hours until firm. Check the water level every now and then and top it up if necessary.

  4. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C /gas 4. Tip the pudding into a colander to drain and then carefully peel off the cloth and paper. Place the pudding on an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 mins to dry it off and produce the classic skin. Serve sliced with custard, cream or ice cream.

Suggested recipes from this collection...