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Cheltenham Pudding
900. Mix three-quarters of a pound of flour, half a pound of suet chopped very fine, half a pound of currants, two or three eggs, two or three ounces of sugar, half a pint of milk, or enough to make the pudding thicker than batter, but thinner than dough; mix the dry ingredients first, beat the eggs and milk together, then mix all. Bake an hour and a quarter, or half. 1
A plain baked suet pudding of the sort that sat between a batter and a boiled dough. The recipe gives no oven heat and no dish, so both need supplying.
- The consistency is the recipeThe instruction to make it "thicker than batter, but thinner than dough" is the only real guide here. Hold back some of the half-pint of milk and add it a spoonful at a time until the mixture drops heavily from the spoon rather than pouring.
- Oven heatThe recipe gives no oven heat at all. A moderate modern oven, around 350F (or 325F if your tin is deep), suits a bake of this length. Cover loosely with foil if the top colours before the centre is set.
- SuetBeef suet chopped "very fine" is what the original means; shredded packet suet, beef or vegetable, is the direct modern substitute at the same weight. Keep it cold so it stays in distinct pieces until the pudding hits the oven.
- CurrantsHalf a pound of dried currants, not fresh redcurrants or blackcurrants. Toss them in a little of the flour before mixing so they stay suspended rather than sinking.
- SugarTwo or three ounces for the whole pudding is sparing by modern taste. The recipe says nothing about serving, but it takes well to custard, a wine sauce or warmed jam; increase the sugar to about 4 oz if it is going to the table plain.
- Dish and yieldA buttered 2-quart pie dish or a 9-inch square tin suits the quantity, which serves six to eight. The mixture rises little, so fill to about two-thirds.
- TimingReckon on an hour and a quarter at 350F for a shallower dish and closer to an hour and a half for a deep one. Test with a skewer at the centre: it should come out clean and the pudding should feel firm, since undercooked suet mixtures are heavy and greasy.