Suet puddings?

[Angstrom]

Thanks for the Black Bun information! The filling in the linked recipe has a lot in common with the Christmas pudding recipe I use.

And yes, Spotted Dog and Spotted Dick are the same thing, as is Plum Duff. They're all essentially dough with currants.

A lot of folks have a bad impression of suet because they think it's the greasy beef trimmings often sold for feeding birds. Proper suet is the fat from around the kidneys, which is hard and white with an almost crumbly texture. I freeze it and then grate it when using it in recipes.

[TheBrus]

Years ago, I made a real Christmas pudding with suet for my high school English lit class--just like Bob Cratchitt's wife would have done. I had no idea that that was the secret ingredient that made it so tasty. It's probably for the best that I didn't tell them what all was in it. The fun part was steaming it. Hours and hours of minding a double boiler, steaming up the windows.

[Tobus]

What is the name of that Scottish cookbook, Tobus? I am an avid fan of black bun.

I'll have to get the information off the cover this evening, Kyle. It's just a cookbook for traditional Scottish recipes that I found at Half-Price Books a couple of years ago. It may not even be in print any more. But I'll get the info for you.

Thanks for the Black Bun information! The filling in the linked recipe has a lot in common with the Christmas pudding recipe I use.

And yes, Spotted Dog and Spotted Dick are the same thing, as is Plum Duff. They're all essentially dough with currants.

A lot of folks have a bad impression of suet because they think it's the greasy beef trimmings often sold for feeding birds. Proper suet is the fat from around the kidneys, which is hard and white with an almost crumbly texture. I freeze it and then grate it when using it in recipes.

One problem around here is that no one knows what suet is. It's incredibly hard to find. When I've asked for suet at local butcher shops or deli departments in the large grocery stores, they look at me like a calf staring at a new gate. No friggin' clue. And to be honest, I had no idea what it was until a couple of years ago. But you'd think someone who deals in meats and meat byproducts would know. Sheesh.

[creagdhubh]

I'll have to get the information off the cover this evening, Kyle. It's just a cookbook for traditional Scottish recipes that I found at Half-Price Books a couple of years ago. It may not even be in print any more. But I'll get the info for you.

Cheers, Tobus! I was just curious. No worries either, as my wife has several in her cookbook library.

Thanks again,

[kilted scholar]

It so happens that I had a suet pudding this evening, complete with golden syrup poured over it in abundance. This is one of my three or four favourites; suet, flour, milk, steamed (it can be done in a crockpot - slow cooker in the UK). The steam is good for one's sinuses. I am told that it was a staple in WW2, what with food rationing. It is incredibly filling. Forget about calories - burn them off with some exercise like a good long walk.

[Tobus]

Cheers, Tobus! I was just curious. No worries either, as my wife has several in her cookbook library.

Well, since you asked, here's a photo of the book (still with the price tag on it, lol). Interestingly enough, I tried to look it up on Amazon and can't find one exactly like it. But the authors have several other books out there on traditional Scottish recipes, so I'm sure that black bun recipe is somewhere in the other books as well. The clootie dumpling recipe I use is from this book too.

And speaking of suet, since it was on my mind yesterday evening from reading this thread, I decided to stop in at a huge new grocery store on my way home. They have a big meat department, and the butcher fixed me up with some fresh suet from the back. He told me that no, they don't carry it on the shelves and the only way to get it is to ask for it. They may or may not have any on hand.

[chemist93]

post deleted due to not really being on topic.

[Angstrom]

A couple of weeks ago I did try the Black Bun(currant loaf) recipe that Tobus kindly linked. It's now resting quietly and maturing. I'll report on how it came out after the holidays.

As Tobus did, I also felt that I should add more liquid than the recipe called for.

A thought on "traditional" recipes: It's good to remember that versions of these foods were being enjoyed long before uniform ingredients, standard measures, or calibrated ovens. Old cookbooks give general outlines for dishes, not precise formulas. Cooks made the best of what they had. The "that seems about right" approach is probably MORE authentic than following someone's recipe down to the last quarter-teaspoon.

[Pleater]

It depends on the flour, I think - taking it from the tab end of an old bag of self raising flour from the back of the cupboard will not give light puddings, nor will old baking powder.

I make a lemon suet pudding which is very light, and has a lemon in the middle of it.

The steam for hours method of cooking is not what I do - microwave for three minutes is more my style and it works.

I soak the fruit in vermouth, then add rum after cooking and brandy later, just to be sure, but not too much, as it can overpower every other flavour and be downright horrible if overdone.

Rather than a cooking apple I try to find some Cox's orange pippins, which are small oval and browny red, and are everything Autumn, but they are rare things these days.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Angstrom]

Oh, I'm sure "light" is possible. The recipe I've been using as a guide has no leavening, and probably emphasizes sheer density -- caloric and otherwise -- over elegance. Just carrying it to the table lets you know it's got substance. Dropping it on your foot would be tragic for all involved.