{"id":1749585,"date":"2022-04-14T17:14:26","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T22:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1749585"},"modified":"2025-05-15T06:56:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T11:56:22","slug":"how-to-make-spotted-dick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-make-spotted-dick\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Spotted Dick, a Traditional British Pudding"},"content":{"rendered":"If you're looking for an old-fashioned dessert that also serves as an interesting conversation starter, this British pudding is just the ticket. Learn how to make spotted dick, a treat with a wonderful, lightly-sweet flavor that's made even better with a drizzle of vanilla custard sauce.\r\n

Make this and other British-style recipes<\/a> to celebrate the Queen's upcoming Platinum Jubilee!<\/p>\r\n\r\n

What Is Spotted Dick?<\/h2>\r\nIt's a type of traditional English pudding\u2014a term that needs elaboration because it's different from Americans' Jell-O type of puddings. In the U.K., there are two categories of pudding. You may be familiar with savory pudding, like black pudding sausages and batter-based Yorkshire puddings<\/a> made with meat drippings. But \"pudding\" also refers to a number of desserts, either steam-cooked or baked. The texture of dessert puddings might be heavy with liquor, fruits and nuts like a holiday plum pudding<\/a>, or have a lighter, cake-like texture like that of spotted dick.\r\n\r\nAs for the unusual name of this dessert, \"spotted\" refers to the dark currants suspended in the light cake, and \"dick\" comes from puddick<\/em> or puddog, <\/em>Old English versions of the word pudding. (This pudding is sometimes called a spotted dog.) Because the traditional name tends to raise eyebrows and prompt crude jokes, some government dining halls in England reportedly refer to this dessert as \"spotted Richard\" instead!\r\n

Here are more British foods<\/a> with highly unusual names.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Key Ingredients in Spotted Dick<\/h2>\r\n

Suet or Butter<\/h3>\r\nThe fat used in a traditional spotted dick is suet, an ingredient found in many English recipes. This fat comes from the kidney area of cows or sheep and gives dishes a rich, slightly savory flavor. However, butter works just as well in this recipe and is easier to find than suet.\r\n

Baking powder<\/h3>\r\nThe cake-like texture of this dessert is thanks to baking powder<\/a> in the batter which helps it rise. It works first when milk is added and again with heat from the steam-cooking process.\r\n

Currants<\/h3>\r\nTiny, chewy, dried currants give this pudding sweetness and texture, as well as its \"spotted\" appearance. Look for dried currants,<\/a> often labeled as Zante currants, in the same aisle as raisins and other dried fruits.\r\n

How to Make Spotted Dick with Custard Sauce<\/h2>\r\nThis dessert is adapted from a recipe shared with the BBC<\/a> by celebrity chef James Martin. It's made in a 1-quart bowl and serves 4-6 people.\r\n

Ingredients<\/h3>\r\n

\"Spotted<\/h3>\r\n