Traditional Spotted Dick Recipe A quintessential British dessert, Spotted Dick represents everything that is delicious about traditional English cooking. Tender steamed pudding dotted with succulent currants is drizzled with a luxuriously rich and creamy vanilla custard. It’s heaven!
“Spotted what?” I hear you. That’s the most common question from the snickering lips of Americans the first time they hear the name of this legendary British dessert, Spotted Dick. I was among that giggling crowd when I first moved to England for a 7-year stint, being quite naive to British terminology beyond what I had picked up from my favorite older British sitcoms (e.g., Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, Monte Python, etc). And what’s interesting is that despite its immense popularity over the course of at least two centuries, time seems to have lost the origins of its quirky name.
What is the Origin of Spotted Dick?
While “spotted” seems simple enough (i.e., the “spots” throughout the pudding from the dried currants), “dick” is the more puzzling of the two terms. Was it referring to the nickname of someone named Richard? Some have wondered if comes from an old English corruption of the word pudding to “puddick.” But who knows? The mystery of Spotted Dick goes on.
The first known recorded recipe of Spotted Dick is found in the mid-19th century cookbook, The Modern Housewife or Ménagère, by Alexis Soyer, one of Britain’s first celebrity chefs who seems to imply that the pudding had already been around for some time.
In any case, Spotted Dick has remained high in popularity over the centuries to the extent that you can find if in tin cans, manufactured by Heinz, in every British grocery store. That was my first exposure to the stuff. I still remember going into a grocery store in England and picking up a can of Spotted Dick on the shelf and thinking “what IS this??” as I showed it to my mom and we both started giggling like school girls.
For my British friends who are wondering what the fuss is all about, you’ll have to Google the name for its anatomical reference to see what Americans find so amusing about it. To tell you myself would make me blush ;)
But to continue, I’ve never been able to get excited about the canned stuff, but homemade? That’s an entirely different story.
Spotted Dick is just one of many great traditional British dishes I was introduced to during the nearly 7 years I lived in England after moving there from Germany. Those were among the best years of my life and I will always consider the UK my second home. My husband also spent two years in England and Wales long before we met. He loves the UK as much as I do and we have both traced our ancestry far back to medieval times; my husband to Cornwall and mine, well, all over the British Isles.
There are many places throughout the UK that we consider favorites. Below are two of my favorite villages in England’s Cotswold region.
Castle Combe, in Wiltshire on the southern-most edge of the Cotswolds, has often been named as the ‘prettiest village in England.’ Originally it was a British hill fort which became occupied by the Romans and later the Normans because of its strategic proximity to The Fosse Way. During the Middle Ages it became an important center for the wool industry and in more recent years has been a popular tourist site and setting for numerous films, including the original Dr. Doolittle with Rex Harrison, a Spielberg film, and Downton Abbey.
The buildings are several centuries old and listed as ancient monuments. Their stone construction with thick walls and roofs made from spit natural stone tiles are all typical of Cotswold architecture.
Bibury is another village situated in the Cotswolds and many consider it the most picturesque. It’s located in the Gloucestershire region of the Cotswolds and has also been referred to as “the most beautiful village in England” as well as one of the most charming towns in Europe.
Arlington Row (below), with its cottages dating to the 1300’s, is one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. Bibury is also home to the world’s first horse racing club, The Bibury Club, formed in 1681.
A popular tourist attraction and setting for several films (including Stardust and Bridget Jones’ Diary), it was also a favorite spot of Henry Ford. On one of his trips to the Cotswolds he attempted to buy the entire row of houses in Arlington Row and have them shipped back to Michigan to be reassembled there in Greenfield Village. Thank goodness the English said “NO.”
It’s a charming notion to imagine the residents of Castle Combe and Bibury during the Victorian Age sitting down at the table behind these vintage stone walls enjoying a plate of Spotted Dick drizzled with custard sauce at the end of their meal.
Spotted Dick is very, very easy to make and if you’ve never had a steamed pudding before you will be especially tickled to give this a try. Not overly sweet, the sweetness comes mostly from the currants and the custard sauce, which is an absolute must. If you try serving Spotted Dick without the custard sauce the Dickensian police of Victorian England will parade into a time machine and come clobber you over the head with a wooden billy club.
Two Essential Ingredients for Making Proper Spotted Dick
Before we get started I want to say two things about caster sugar, which is the form of sugar traditionally called for in Spotted Dick and most British baking. While very popular in the UK it’s virtually unheard of here in the U.S.. And while it can be found in some gourmet specialty shops it’s very expensive, which is silly because all it is is finely ground granulated sugar. You can make it yourself simply by grinding regular granulated sugar in a coffee or spice grinder for a few seconds.
The other thing I want to point out is that while caster sugar is the best sugar to use for baked goods that don’t bake long and especially for delicate items like meringues, it isn’t required for steamed puddings like Spotted Dick. A primary reason for using caster sugar in the items I just mentioned above is that caster sugar, being so finely ground, dissolves more quickly and you don’t end up with a gritty texture. However, after steaming this pudding for 90 minutes the sugar will be completely dissolved. So it’s your choice whether to use caster or regular sugar.
I also want to talk about shredded beef suet. Every traditional recipe for Spotted Dick calls for it as do many other British pastries and pies, resulting in a superior texture. One of my husband’s favorite things are Cornish Pasties and for the crust there really is no better choice than beef suet. It can be difficult if not near impossible to find in many areas outside of Britain and in more modern times many people are replacing suet with butter anyway. Butter works just fine but the beef suet will result in a moister texture. If however you want to make Spotted Dick the traditional way, give shredded beef suet a try. The brand below, Atora Shredded Beef Suet, has been around since 1893, a household name for over a century.
Let’s get started with our authentic Spotted Dick!
Place the flour, baking soda, salt and beef suet or butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract and currants and stir until combined.
Spoon the batter into a generously greased pudding mold.
I’m using one of 4 pudding molds I own. The one in the picture holds a quart (about one liter) but most of my other ones are larger, and that’s fine, too. The smallest pudding mold (1.5 liters) with the best reviews I’ve found on Amazon is this one. A great place to find pudding molds is in thrift shops. I found two of mine at Goodwill. The other two I brought with me from Europe.
Place metal cookie cutters, a folded dish towel or crumpled tin foil on the bottom of the stock pot. The pudding mold cannot come in contact with the bottom of the pot or it will scorch the pudding.
Lower the pudding mold into the boiling water so that the water comes up to the halfway point of the mold. You’ll likely need to weight the pudding mold down with something heavy to keep it from bobbing up and down in the water. I use a plate and then put something heavy on top of it, like another bowl.
Cover the stock pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours. Check the water level periodically and add more water as needed to keep it at the halfway point of the pudding tin.
Remove the pudding mold from the water bath and let it rest for 15 minutes. Invert the pudding onto a plate.
Cut the pudding into wedges.
Serve the pudding warm with hot English Vanilla Custard.
Enjoy!
For more delicious British treats try our:
- Treacle Tart
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Eccles Cakes
- Welsh Cakes
- Scottish Shortbread
- Yorkshire Parkin
- Bara Brith
- Barmbrack
- Mincemeat
- Mincemeat Pie
- Millionaire’s Shortbread
- Lemon Curd
- Victoria Sponge Cake
And learn how to make your own Golden Syrup!
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Traditional Spotted Dick (English Steamed Currant Pudding)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces shredded beef suet (highly recommended for best results, but can substitute 10 tablespoons chilled butter, diced)
- 2/3 cup caster sugar or regular granulated sugar , see NOTE
- 1 cup dried currants
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons quality vanilla extract
- Zest of one large lemon
- English Custard Sauce for serving (click link for recipe)
Instructions
- Place metal cookie cutters, a folded towel, or crumpled tin foil in the bottom of a large stock pot to prevent the pudding mold from touching the bottom of the pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Generously grease a pudding mold.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and suet (or butter) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract and currants and stir until combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pudding mold and secure it tightly with the lid.
- Lower the pudding mold into the boiling water so that the water comes up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer undisturbed for 90 minutes (3-4 hours if using suet as it has a very high melting point and needs that amount of time to melt and create the "pockets" throughout the pudding that yields the characteristic light/spongy texture associated with suet-based puddings). You'll likely need to weight the pudding mold down with something heavy to keep it from bobbing up and down in the water. I use a plate and then put something heavy on top of it, like another bowl. Check the water level periodically and add more water as needed to keep it at the halfway point of the pudding tin.
- Remove the pudding mold from the water and let it sit for 15 minutes. Invert the pudding onto a plate. Slice into wedges and serve warm with English Custard Sauce.
- See NOTE about reheating.
Notes
Nutrition
Davyd Leech says
The dick in spotted dick is pudding. It derives from the Anglo word, as does the word dog. The use in the US for the male member comes from its pudding like qualities.
Jordan says
Came out great! Used butter for the main and regular (quality) vanilla for the custard sauce. Love the currants and lemon in this otherwise very rich pudding. Custard took 2 Tablespoons of corn starch to thicken up like the tins of custard my Liverpudlian hubby buys. Worth the whisking. Absolutely decadent with a cup of black coffee in the morning !!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jordan, thank you!
Eileen Friestad says
Any chance you could substitute blueberries for the currants/raisins? I have an aversion to raisins baked or cooked.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Eileen, dried blueberries? Absolutely, no problem at all.
Simon says
The recipe looks awesome. Just a clarifying question…if real suet is being used, you would recommend cooking the pudding for 3 to 4 hours, instead of 1.5 hour?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Simon, yes because suet it has a very high melting point and needs that amount of time to melt and create the “pockets” throughout the pudding that yields the characteristic light/spongy texture associated with suet-based puddings.
Ann says
Just wondering about the 5 oz of suet- is that in weight or fluid oz? Ie.how many grams would that be or just use the same number of tbsp you mention for the butter? Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ann, that’s in weight. So you’ll need either 5 ounces of suet (142 grams) or 5 ounces of butter (142 grams) or a combination of the two.
Anonymous says
Thank you! I brought a 500g package locally.
Stacey says
How long do you think I would need to steam them if I am using individual pudding moulds (roughly 6cm high and diameter)? Thanks in advance x
Prati Anand says
Loved the recipe and the easy instructions.
Hugh F. Barbour says
Kimberly,
Castor Sugar is available State Side as Superfine Sugar or Bar Sugar.
Domino makes it though it can be hard to find in the Supermarkets.
Maggie Parker says
Too many comments to look through so this may have been mentioned, my nana always made spotty dick in a pudding ‘clout’.
ALWAYS called ‘Spotty Dick’ the original name seems to have been altered to correct English ha ha. It was the original boil in a bag recipe. My nana used to make this every Thursday yum yum yum. She made the pudding, popped it into the middle of a large size muslin ‘pudding clout’ tied it up tightly with string (pull the 4 sides together into a knot and tie with string.) then you can throw it into a pan of water at a rolling simmer for about an hour. You don’t need a particular pot and it’s so easy.
She kept her pudding clouts specially for her puddings. The clouts were washed after every use and carefully stored for their next outing. Woe betide you if you messed with the clouts, you’d get a clout. Oh my gosh I’m back to my childhood.
Thanks for the time jump and yes, we DO know what the connotations are in the name in the UK lol lol lol
Pudding clout – clout is a pit yacker word for cloth
Clout also meant smack depending on circumstances.
Pit yacker is a language used in and around the mining villages of Durham, in the north east of England. Also called the ‘Durham Necklace’
Christine T says
Your link for currants takes you to Zante currants which are raisins; I was expecting black currants.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Christine, when British baking recipes call for currants they’re referring to Zante “currants” which are a smaller variety of raisin.
Jackie says
Could you please tell me how to reheat the sauce.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jackie, reheat it in the pan on the stove stirring regularly to prevent a skin from forming on top.
Duke Theedam says
My Mum used to make one about the size of a bowling ball for all the Family…it’s a hangover from wartime Britain…feed the crew for almost nothing. Wrapped in a cloth and steamed in a big pot, served in thick slices with golden syrup (caramelised sugar…easy to make yourself) Currants and sultana’s in it…it’s the ultimate filler dessert.
Peter P says
Absolutely delicious.
My mum used to make steamed puds when I was little, but when we got a microwave she discovered you can make passable versions in there in a minute and a half so we never had them again.
It must be 35 years since I last had one and your recipe was easy to follow and didn’t let me down at all!
I’m in America now so I had to use butter instead of suet, but I’ll ask my parents to bring me a packet of suet next time they come to visit.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Peter, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Alternatively can also get suet from your local butcher. If you ask them for shredded beef suet they “should” know what to do :) My local butcher even sells it pre-shredded in plastic bags in the freezer. They just run beef kidney fat (also called beef leaf fat) through a fine grinder and you use it the same way you use Atora.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled you enjoyed it, Peter, thank you!
JL P says
“For my British friends who are wondering what the fuss is all about, you’ll have to Google the name for its anatomical reference to see what Americans find so amusing about it. To tell you myself would make me blush ;)”
“Dick” means the same here in GB, btw. We already know why you’re laughing ;)
Anonymous says
I was about to write this!
Also… we call it ‘custard’. Not ‘custard sauce’. Glad you enjoy it though :-)
Adw says
A quart is actually just under 2 liters (1.8).
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Adw, a quart is just shy of one liter. TWO quarts is 1.8 liters.
Avi J says
Have you used Atora vegetable suet? In terms of outcome, how does this with beef suet? If I want to avoid beef, am I better off using butter? Is Crisco a good choice for making this meat and dairy free?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Avi, I have not tried Atora’s vegetable suet but it’s been around a long time and is recommended as a vegetarian substitute for the beef Atora. I would avoid Crisco entirely but yes, butter is a good and flavorful substitute.
Lee says
Are you using salted or unsalted butter? I’ve got my mold and am very excited to try this recipe out! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lee, I use unsalted. Happy cooking! :)
Carl W Stahlmann says
Hi Kimberly,
I made your Spotted Dick for my mother’s 92nd birthday dinner and it was a big hit.
Even though I steamed it for the full 90 minutes, mine didn’t turn out as golden looking as yours. And I thought it would have risen higher. My pudding wasn’t undone, but it looked like it. Also, in the article you say to “put the butter, the flour and the baking soda. . . ” but in the actual recipe you call for baking powder, not baking soda. Per the recipe, I used baking powder. Can you clarify this for me?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carl, I’m so glad it was a hit on such a special occasion! Yes, baking powder is correct. Thanks for catching that typo in the directions, I’ve update it. How golden it is will depend on what ratio of suet/butter you use and the height will just depend on the pudding mold you use. There’s no right or wrong to that, some prefer shorter/wider puddings, some prefer narrower/taller ones. Same thing with the pale versus golden color, it’s strictly personal preference.
Emris James says
Great recipe, but for the love of the old gods! Why did we need such a long a** story about it
fyrhound says
I live in the states and I have been able to find caster sugar on the baking isle in two states made by C & H sugar called Baker’s Sugar in a half gallon milk carton type container. My family and I spent two weeks in the UK this summer and I tried all the foods I intended to try with the exception of spotted dick, so I am looking forward to making it. Thank you for posting.
British Grandmother says
Castor sugar in North America is called and sold as “Berry Sugar” and is widely available. I use it all the time.
pat williams says
Very good but we in Uk always make ours in a cloth we were taught this from children, I am now 79yrs and have been making this for my family since the 60s, it is called this because it is made long and thick and cut into slices. We eat it with custard or golden syrup.