Clootie Dumpling in 30 Minutes

This variation of a traditional Scottish dish, also known as a ‘plum pudding’ or ‘duff’, which is usually made in a cloth and simmered for around 4 hours in a pot. Traditionally associated with Christmas and New Year, I have great memories of my granny making one for any big occasion. 

Dark brown sugar and treacle give the traditional dark colour of the dumpling, but if you don’t have them in the cupboard, using a lighter sugar or leaving out the treacle will still give you a good taste. 

But this recipe gives you a tasty dumpling in just 30 minutes, and the best thing is that it can be adapted depending what ingredients you have in your cupboard.

Dark brown sugar and treacle give the traditional dark colour of the dumpling, but if you don’t have them in the cupboard, using a lighter sugar or leaving out the treacle will still give you a good taste. The addition of the grated apple will prevent it from drying out during cooking to keep the texture moist much like the traditional boiled version, but again, if you leave it out you will still have a nice dumpling.

In Orkney, Clootie Dumplings would traditionally be made with a mix of raisins and sultanas, however more generic Scottish recipes include mixed fruit, so you can add the dried fruits to your taste.

Ingredients:

• 225ml (8 fl oz) milk (or water)
• 150g (5oz) dark brown sugar (or light brown/caster sugar)
• 250g (9oz) butter (or margarine)
• 2 tablespoon of treacle (optional)
• 1 small apple grated (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons of mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger (optional)
• 450g (1lb) dried fruits (half sultanas and half raisins, but you can use any combination of sultanas, raisins or mixed fruit that you have in the cupboard)
• 250g (9oz) plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs, beaten

Method:

Prep 15 minutes, cook 11 minutes, rest 2 minutes.

1. In a pot, place milk, sugar, margarine, treacle, cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, grated apple and dried fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, line a 2L pyrex (or microwaveable glass or pudding) bowl with cling film. This is to ensure that the Clootie Dumpling does not stick to the bowl and can be easily turned out onto the serving plate later!
3. When the mixture has cooled slightly, sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir into the fruit mixture, then stir in with the eggs.
4. Pour into the prepared bowl. DO NOT cover. Cook for 11 minutes on full power (850w – other power settings may vary).
5. Remove from microwave and sit for 2 minutes before turning onto a serving plate, and remove the cling film. For best results, leave for 15-30 minutes before cutting. Serve with custard or cream. 

By Cheryl Kelday
Orkney born and bred. Enjoys socialising from spending time in Shetland for events and catching up with friends; playing tenor drum in the Kirkwall City pipe band; cooking and baking for folk; or playing netball with her team mates in her spare time.

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