A quintessential British dessert, Spotted Dick represents everything that is delicious about traditional English cooking. Tender steamed pudding dotted with succulent black 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 more recently Downton Abbey (forgive me, but we’ve just never able to get “into” it. Yes, order up the beheading).
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 a 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.
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!
Traditional Spotted Dick (English Steamed Currant Pudding with Vanilla Custard)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces shredded beef suet or 10 tablespoons chilled butter diced
- 2/3 cup caster sugar or regular granulated sugar see NOTE
- 1 cup dried currants see NOTE
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons quality vanilla extract
- Zest of one large lemon
- English Custard Sauce for serving click 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.
- 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
* Dried currants: In the U.S. what is referred to as currants are Zante currants, i.e., Corinth grapes. They're not the same thing as the dried black currants traditionally called for in this dish. i.e., ribes currants. It's near impossible to find the latter in the U.S.. If you have access to true black currants, use them. If not, use the Zante currants (smaller than regular raisins).
REHEATING: The key is just to do it in a way that doesn’t dry out the pudding or render it overly moist and mushy. Two methods: Reheat the same way you cooked it by removing the wrapping and returning the the pudding to the mold to steam it for 3/4 to 1 hour or until hot. Or reheat it in the oven: Wrap the pudding in foil and reheat at 300ºF (150ºC) for an hour or until hot.
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Candace Nielson says
This was OUTSTANDING!! I only ever had the canned stuff in England and homemade is a total showstopper. Will be making this again for sure, DELICIOUS!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad to hear it, Candace, thank you!
Maria Hawkins says
Can I mix the dough in the morning and steam later in the evening? Or does it have to go into the steam right after mixing?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s a great question, Maria, and one I can’t answer based on personal experience as I’ve always steamed it directly after mixing the batter. My instinct tells me that it would be okay because it’s the suet that creates air pockets as the pudding is steaming and is what makes the pudding light. I don’t think making the batter in advance would pose a problem because the suet will not melt in the batter. Perhaps one of our readers has tried making the batter in advance and can speak to that. In any case, if you make the batter in advance, let us know how it turns out!
laura Nelson says
Love, love this recipe!.My grandmother was famous for her chocolate steamed pudding with foamy lemon sauce. It was delicious and if I remember right she also used suet, as most steamed puddings did because of the lovely moist texture it created.And I made a maine blueberry steamed pudding with a lemon sauce…it had a bit of mace in it. It was just scrumptious
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Laura, and the chocolate and blueberry puddings sound scrumptious indeed!
Annette says
Oh my, this looks so delicious! I have wanted to make spotted dick for quite some time, even though I have never tasted it before. The texture looks so wonderful, and I just love custard sauce (there is no chance whatsoever that I would leave off making the custard sauce!)
I love simple, traditional and homey looking recipes such as this one. The moist look, and the texture of the crumb of your recipe looks very tempting indeed!
I am going to make this as soon as I receive the pudding mold! Thank you so much for the recipe and all the information you provided with it.
I am thoroughly enjoying your wonderful recipe site!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much for your complimentary note, Annette, and I hope you enjoy this pudding and sauce!
Shirlee Smith says
I can’t get the lid from the steaming mold to come off. There is a spot on the lid that says open but it does not line up with anything. I feel like I would
have to damage the mold to remove the lid.???
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shirlee, I haven’t experienced that but it’s probably just the suction caused by internal pressure. Good luck and I hope you’re successful in removing it!
Sandra says
My Father was British so I spent most of my summers there as a child. Like you I love British food and make quite a bit of it. But I love reading the stories you put in about places and things. I make Caster Sugar in my Blender or food processor and keep a 5lb container of it on hand. I just put in a pound at a time in the blender or 2 pounds at a time of granulated sugar blitz it 5 or 6 times for 30 seconds then pour it into a air tight container. I have to send to England to get Suet but NOTHING we have here can compare to the way it works in dough!! I am dead awful at Pie Dough yet I can make croissants but with suet my crusts are perfection! And no matter what anyone says Vegetable Suet is NOT a good alternative. And NO it doesn’t flavor your dough
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Funny timing, Sandra, I’m making spotted dick for Sunday dinner today! :) I agree 100%, you just cannot beat real suet. And yes, that’s exactly how I make my caster sugar as well – it’s super easy and much cheaper than buying it here. Have a great rest of your day! Best, Kimberly
Isabelle Whitmore Mizzi says
Hi I have tried the recipe, I made an error with the milk quantity as I converted to ml !! anyway, as I was in the second stage of stiring, I quickly said to myself, this is wrong! So, I had to double the flour, had run out of suet, so used butter instead and lemon zest up plus currants did not have any extra. I used sultanas.
I found a container from a shop that is used for camping and its perfect. Because I had a lot of spotted dick, I had to divide into two. My hubby is English and I am Maltese. We live in Malta and I had heard of it and hubby wanted to have it as his granny from Cambridge used to do it frequently. I did the custard too. So I have two puddings but have not tasted as yet. Happy I can freeze it and it might not look perfect, but as the English say, the proof is in the pudding.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Isabelle, I’m glad you were able to “save” it – happy eating! :)
Isabelle says
Thank you will let you know :) I should call it Maltese Spotted Dick lol
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Lol, exactly! :)
Jane Simone says
I’m surprised no-one has recommended Bird’s Custard Powder as an easy, quick alternative to making your own vanilla sauce. If you have a Wegman’s grocery store near you, go to the European/International food aisle and track it down. It keeps for ever, and making the custard is a cinch. Mix a teeny bit of sugar with some of the powder (recipe is on the box/tin), add milk to make a runny-ish roux, then bring milk to a boil, add the goop and bring back to a low boil to thicken, and it’s done! So much easier (and very tasty) than starting from scratch. Thanks for the tips about suet. Infuriating you can’t get it here. We used to get chunks of it free from our butchers in England and Scotland. For texture and lightness it’s unbeatable.
Anonymous says
YES Bird’s Custard is the best
Morgan Munro says
In Canada at least there’s a super-fine variety of granulated sugar called Berry Sugar. From what I can find, it’s equivalent to caster sugar.
Mary says
I first tasted Spotted Dick on a recent trip to Scotland. I now want to make it for some friends but I don’t have a pudding mold. Could I use custard cups covered with tinfoil? Any idea how much I would have to adjust the cooking time?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mary, yes, you can really use anything, including just a regular bowl or larger mixing bowl, as long as it’s covered to avoid letting water get in. Cooking time will vary according to the size and you’ll just need to check it every so often to see if it’s done. Removing the cover to check it then putting it back in to steam longer won’t negatively impact it.
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.
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.
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.
Emris James says
Great recipe, but for the love of the old gods! Why did we need such a long ass story about it
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.
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! :)