Spotted Dick, ......or Don't Laugh! It's good!

Pudding is the traditional word for dessert in Britian, and no more traditional or classic is the Spotted Dick, or Spotted Dog, the "spotted" refering to the raisins and currants in the cough. The word "dick" is the colloquialism for pudding, stemming from the "ding", or puddink, or a corruption of the word "dough" or "dog".
Also, interestingly enough, the term might have come down from the Romans, from the word "botellus" or sausage, from which came "boudin" (French), then "Puddink" (English). Puddings were originally of meat composition, wrapped in skin, or stomach lining, i.e. Haggis, or blood saugage, and steamed. Later on, meat was substituted at times for sweet ingredients. And, the rest is history!

Spotted Dick is made from suet (mutton or beef fat, particularly from the loins or kidneys), flour and dried fruit, and is high in calories, though very tasty. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare, about 2 hours to steam.

4 oz. raisins
2 oz. currants
3 oz. dark brown sugar
grated zest of one lemon
8 oz. self-rising flour
4 oz. shredded suet
Pinch salt
2 oz. milk

In a small bowl, mix fruit, brown sugar and lemon zest. In another bowl, mix flour, suet and rub to combine. Add the milk, and use a knife to help mix. Finally, use your hands to combine into a dough. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough about 8" by 12". Spread fruit filling on dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch all the way around. Paint the border with water and roll up from the short end. Wet a clean tea towel with boiling water, and squeeze out the excess when warm. Wrap the pudding in the towel, securing the ends with kitchen string. Steam the roll in a steamer for two hours, remove cloth, then wrap the pudding in tin foil, and bake for an hour and a half in a hot oven (400oF). Unwrap immediately, slice and serve with hot custard or cream.
So, after a traditional British meal, enjoy some Spotted Dick, and don't laugh! It's good!