I CAN'T remember the last time I heard of anyone having spotted dick for pudding; but when I was a child, it was something we had probably once a week. Its very easy to make, in fact the hardest part is the cooking, it does need to be steamed for a couple of hours, but now with modern steamers, its a lot easier. When I was a child, it was a case of a bowl suspended over a pan of boiling water. Pressure cookers made it easier, but I shall never forget my mother forgetting to turn the heat down and the pressure weights firing off and denting the kitchen wall. Spotted Dick is traditionally served with custard, or a jam sauce, which was basically watered down jam. It can also be served with golden syrup, or I'm guessing for the generation emerging out of rationing, butter and sugar - as my father used to take it. It is also called 'spotted dog' and although I've used the roll method of cooking - where the dough is formed into a tube - the mixture can equally be put into a well greased pudding bowl, wrapped in greaseproof paper, and then steamed.

Ingredients;

8oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

4oz suet

2oz caster sugar

5oz currants

Milk

1 Mix together the flour and baking powder.

2 Add the sugar, suet and currants.

3 Add enough milk to make a soft, pliable dough.

4 Roll on a floured board to a fat sausage.

5 Wrap in greaseproof paper, not too tightly, and then in a pudding cloth, or half a tea towel, being careful to leave 'growing' room.

6 Steam for two hours.