I wonder if there ever was a time when the name of the suet pudding, Spotted Dick, did not make people smile and children giggle? There are many ides where the name came from, a corruption of the word dough, or dog, or a contraction of pudding…. but it first appeared in a written recipe in 1847. Traditionally it was tied in a cloth and boiled, but these days it would be baked, or put in a pudding basin and steamed as you might do for any other pudding.
here is a very simple recipe for it from the G.E.C. Cookery Book of 1961:
- 12 oz self-raising flour
- 5-6 oz chopped suet
- 4 oz raisins
- good pinch of salt
- cold water
- 2 oz sugar
- sieve flour and salt, stir in the suet and sugar and raisins
- mix to a soft dough with a little cold water, using a fork
- flour your hands and shape the dough into a ball
- tie in a strong cotton or linen pudding cloth (which has been scalded with boiling water and wrung out – sprinkle it with flour and place the dough in the middle, tie securely, allowing sufficient room for it to rise)
- boil for 2 – 2½ hours then serve with custard
Lois Elsden 
My tongue is sore from biting it. Nuff said.
LikeLike
Hahahahaha!! David you are so funny, you always bring a smile to my face!
LikeLike
First time I’ve heard it referred to as dog outside of our family. Ours was always called “ Duffle dog” Some reference to it being cooked in a (duffle) coat (the tea towel ) I Never did find out where the dog part came from .
LikeLiked by 1 person
How intriguing… I’m always going to think of duffle dog now¬
LikeLike
I Made one today using your recipe Lois. My sister said as good as mum used to make,so I’m happy with that high praise. Thanks for the site.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent!!! Thanks very much Michael!!
LikeLike
In our family it was known as Margaret’s leg. I have no idea who Margaret was, but her leg was sliced and served either with golden syrup or with butter and brown sugar!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful name! dread to think why it might have been called Margaret’s leg!!
LikeLike
My mum always had her pudding cloth to hand. And we had it sliced with golden syrup. Circa 1950”s. I guess it was cheap and filling xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think my mum used margarine so it was more like a sponge, but yes, with golden syrup!!!! So warming, so tasty, so filling!
LikeLike
In the fifties Mum made this plain with no sugar and half was eaten with the roast instead of Yorkshire pudding and the other half was pudding with butter and sugar or treacle
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so interesting – and it’s triggered a little memory, that maybe my aunty used to do this. She was my mum’s sister, but mum never made it although they often used the same recipes! I wonder if my cousins told me about it? Maybe!
LikeLike