Between stewed trip and a vanilla pyramid…

I’m looking at the section on milk dishes in my old Modern Practical Cookery book. and there between stewed tripe and a vanilla pyramid, not far from tea made with milk and vermicelli pudding is University Pudding. Considering the recipe came from a time when mainly the rich and privileged went to university I would have expected something luxurious with plenty of cream, expensive liqueur, rare fruit and expensive spices… but no..

Here it is in all its dull plainness:

University Pudding

• ¾ pint milk
• 10 oz flour
• 6 oz suet, finely chopped
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 oz sugar
• 10 oz golden syrup

1. well grease a pudding basin or mould and pour in the golden syrup
2. sieve flour and bicarb together
3. add all the dry ingredients and mix very well
4. add the milk gradually, beating very well to a wet consistency
5. turn into the basin onto the syrup
6. cover with greased paper and a floured pudding cloth
7. steam for about four hours then turn out

Isn’t that just treacle pudding with a posh name? Was it served in the refectory, was is it served in students fancy rooms by their butlers or servants or whoever? Did hung over students instruct their menials to make tit as a cure for a sore head and a dicky tummy? Who now knows?!!