Tour Scotland Video Clootie Dumpling Scone Perthshire

Tour Scotland video shot today of snow falling on my Clootie Dumpling on visit Bonhard Nursery near Scone, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. Left my food in the garden for a minute at lunchtime and when I returned a gentle snow was falling on my food, aye, that kind of late March in Scotland. The name originates from the use of a cloth or clout to boil the dumpling in. They are specially popular in the Highlands at Hogmanay when a giant-sized sustain people through the night. Recipes are seldom written down since it is strictly a rule-of-thumb affair and therefore no two dumplings ever taste the same. This is a fairly rich but not too heavy one. It is worth making a large one since its leftovers provide useful breakfasts fried with bacon. Slices may be wrapped in foil and heated through in the oven and served with cream for a pudding.
1 Ib plain flour (500 g)
6 oz breadcrumbs (175 g)
Half Ib sultanas (250 g)
Half Ib currants (250 g)
4 oz raisins (125 g)
1 tsp baking powder
5 tsp salt
2 tsp each of cinnamon, mixed spice and ginger
4 oz chopped mixed peel (125 g)
Half Ib brown sugar (250 g)
Half Ib finely chopped suet(250 g)
2 grated cooking apples
2 grated carrots
Half Ib black treacle (250 g)
2 eggs
Zest and juice of one orange or lemon
Milk to mix

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, using the milk to mix to a soft consistency. Half-fill a very large pot with water and bring to the boil. Add a large piece of cotton or linen cloth to the boiling water and leave in it for a few minutes. Lift out with some tongs, allow excess water to drip off then lay out. Sprinkle with a thin layer of flour to form a seal. Add the mixture, draw up the edges and tie up with some string leaving a little room for expansion.

Put a plate in the bottom of the pan and then add the dumpling. The water should come about three quarters of the way up the dumpling. Bring to simmering point, cover and cook for about 3 hours. Check the water level occasionally. The dumpling can also be boiled in a greased pudding bowl. Half the mixture will fill a 3 pt (1 and half L) bowl. Cover the top with foil or greaseproof paper and tie securely. Check the water level occasionally to keep the level about half-way up the bowl.

To turn out dumpling and serve, fill up a basin with cold water and have ready a bowl that the dumpling will fit neatly into. Also a large, round, heated ashet or plate.
First dip the pudding into the cold water for one second only. This prevents the dumpling sticking to the cloth. Now put it into the bowl and loosen the string. Open out the cloth and hang over the sides of the bowl. Put the serving dish over the bowl, invert it and then
remove the cloth carefully. Dry off in the oven or in front of a fire. Sprinkle with some caster sugar and eat hot with cream or custard.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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