Steamed spotted dick

Name: Steamed spotted dick
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 225 g Self-raising flour; 110 g Vegetable suet; 75 g Caster sugar; 150 g Currants; 1 Lemons, zest only; 1 g Salt, a pinch; 150 ml Milk; 10 g Butter, for the basin; 500 ml Custard, warmed

A proper steamed suet sponge studded with currants and lemon zest, the kind of pudding that makes a cold Sunday better. Serve it with a jug of hot custard.

Ingredients

225 g Self-raising flour
110 g Vegetable suet
75 g Caster sugar
150 g Currants
1 Lemons, zest only
1 g Salt, a pinch
150 ml Milk
10 g Butter, for the basin
500 ml Custard, warmed

Method

Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Cut a circle of baking paper and a sheet of foil big enough to cover the top with a generous pleat.
Mix the flour, suet, sugar, currants, lemon zest and salt, then stir in the milk to make a soft, dropping dough.
Spoon into the basin and level the top. Lay the pleated paper and foil over, tie tightly under the rim with string and make a string handle.
Stand the basin on an upturned saucer in a large pan, pour in boiling water to come halfway up the side, cover and keep at a gentle simmer. Top up with boiling water now and then so it never boils dry.
Lift out, remove the covers, run a knife round the edge and turn out onto a plate. Serve in wedges with hot custard.