Herefordshire Pudding

A plain baked suet pudding of the county sort: no raising agent, no spice, and no oven temperature given. The whole thing hinges on getting a moderate heat and a generously buttered dish.

• Oven heatThe original assumes you know your own oven. Bake at 350F (180C) for the full hour; a hotter oven sets the crust before the suet has rendered and the centre stays pasty. A skewer should come out clean and the top be well browned.
• Half a pint of milkAn imperial half-pint is 10 fl oz, about 1 1/4 US cups. With half a pound of flour (nearer 1 3/4 US cups) and two eggs this gives a thick, droppable batter rather than a pourable one.
• A spoonful of sugarGenuinely ambiguous in the original. A tablespoon is the usual reading and gives a barely sweet pudding; if you want it as a dessert rather than a plain course, 2 to 3 tablespoons is closer to modern expectations.
• SuetBeef suet, shredded. Packet shredded suet (beef or vegetable) needs no chopping and goes straight in. If you can only get a lump of raw suet, chill it hard and grate it, discarding the membrane. Frozen grated butter is the nearest substitute, though the crumb will be shorter and less springy.
• CurrantsDried Zante currants, not fresh redcurrants or blackcurrants. A quarter pound is about 3/4 cup. Toss them in a little of the weighed flour so they do not sink.
• The applesA quarter pound is roughly one small cooking apple, or part of a larger one, once peeled and cored. Chop it small, near enough to the size of the currants, or the pieces steam into hollows in the crumb.
• Dish and yieldA buttered 1-quart pie dish or shallow baking dish suits the quantity. It serves four as a pudding course, six if you are following a substantial dinner. Serve hot with cream, custard, or nothing but a little more sugar.