Suet pastry

[Suffs Profile]

I’ve always made suet pastry, S&k pud, Bedfordshire Clanger, Mutton Pot Pie, Onion Pudding, Bacon & Leek pudding etc, and of course all the sweet suet puddings ...I don’t use a recipe for any of them, they are imprinted on my DNA, and I’m very proud to say that DD who is in her early 40s makes a dashed fine Steak & Kidney Pudding. She has even paid her car mechanic for repairing her car with one

I’d have steamed those little puds for two and a half to three hours. The other problem with them is that they were so small so the proportions were very difficult. In order to have the pastry thick enough to turn out and stand, there would not be enough room for the lemon and the butter and sugar. Jane Grigson’s recipe used a two and a half pint basin, half a pound of flour for the pastry and three and a half ounces each of butter and sugar and a ‘large lemon’.

I think Paul likes setting Heffalump traps.

I also doubt that the contestants are chosen for anything but pretty middle of the road baking ability ... there are other criteria to fit the programme’s target demographic.

[Seatallan Profile]

It's the only pastry I can make!

Snap!! I'm rather proud of my suet pastry (and dumplings). I'm pretty pants at shortcrust (Mr S is much better than me at it).

[Amyw Profile]

I’ve never made suet pastry or a steamed pudding (age 34) and consider myself to be a pretty keen baker . It’s just the fashion I think , they’re quite old school baking things now

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Just about to put the programme on with my cup'o tea.

I've made suet pastry, but it's not my favourite bake. Hours of steam fogging up the house isn't nice.
Requirement of a special suet bowl.
And this sort of pudding (say treacle or jam pudding), with the advent of the microwave, can be done in 5 mins = ping!
I don't hate things baked in the microwave, they're quite funny. But they do taste a bit raw.

So it is an old fashioned task for a modern bakery programme, yes.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

Just about to put the programme on with my cup'o tea.

I hope you're having a nice slice of cake or biscuit with it

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Spotted Dick has always been a treat here (although we call it Spotty Dog because of The Woodentops).

[Busybee Profile]

Actually, I’m sure that spotted dick has been on GBBO on a previous series, the one Nancy won?? So it’s not that suet, and steamed puddings haven’t been done before.

Apart from school dinners I can only remember having spotted dick at home once. It was the Christmas that my Nan came to stay (we usually went there) and she made it. Both me and my sister had chicken pox at the time, seemed apt somehow as we were very spotty!

BB

Edited to add, it was series 4 episode 7. They had to make a suet pudding.

[Seatallan Profile]

Spotted Dick has always been a treat here (although we call it Spotty Dog because of The Woodentops).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEgg0h2FvFY



Going back to suet pastry, I make it pretty often in the autumn/winter. Indeed, I made Delia's 'Old English' rabbit pie with suet pastry just last Saturday and I shall be making suet dumplings this coming Sunday to accompany a chicken casserole.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Hours of steam fogging up the house isn't nice.

You can do them in a slow cooker.

I find it surprising that puddings beloved of previous generations are almost unknown to younger people; syrup sponge and rice pudding spring immediately to mind.

[cherrytree Profile]

I’ve made a steamed syrup sponge (not the suet kind in this case) to French visitors. They have absolutely adored it.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I haven't watched bake-off for centuries - went right off it big time, can't bear the presenters, especially creep-features Hollywood - but how old were these people that had never heard of suet pastry? - Under 6 ?!?!

The thought of growing up without a steamed jam rolypoly or S&K pud etc. is tantamount to deprivation for heavens sake......!!!!!!!

[smitch Profile]

I don’t feel deprived at all

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Spotted Dick has always been a treat here (although we call it Spotty Dog because of The Woodentops).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEgg0h2FvFY

That took me back Seatallan! It’s hilarious. we must have been quite starved of good entertainment.

[Amyw Profile]

I don’t feel deprived at all

Me neither , to be fair we had syrup sponge etc at school but I think that was more a generic sponge covered in syrup than a proper steamed suet pudding . I’ve never had steak and kidney pudding either , they just don’t appeal . Boring world if we all liked the same thing though

[Pepper Pig Profile]

A steamed sponge pudding and a steamed suet pudding are totally different beasts Amy.

[jeral Profile]

The only proper suet pud I remember is a steak one that came in a tin about 2.5" x 2.5" (small, but big enough), pierced then boiled/steamed, which arguably must have come out as soggy as it was when it was put in the tin They were quate naice in that "dreadful but still rather likeable" way. (My mum made good pie pasty, just not suet based.)

We had spotted dick at school - 'orrible hard dry stuff, even though swimming in ample thin custard

[halfateabag Profile]

I get thru a couple of packs of suet in a year. We like dumplings, steamed puds, suet pastry (but don't tend to make it that often). I use a mix of suet, bread crumbs and sugar for a topping for sweet puds, i.e. apple or pear.

I watched the bake off where they worked with jelly the other day, some of the efforts were amazing......

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

a nice slice of cake or biscuit with it

don't mind if I do ...

Well I'm not surprised they made a hash of it. I really didn't like the look of the pudding Prue presented either. It looked ghastly.
Are you supposed to eat the lemon inside too?

[Pepper Pig Profile]

They just didn’t have enough time. Yes Gill you eat the lot. It’s lovely. I had it at Quo Vadis once.

Felicity reckons at least 4 hours.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... ity-cloake

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Suet pastry. Another iconic British tradition, I surmise.
I seem to remember my mum making Syrup pud with Atora Beef Suet, but that´s about as far as it went.
School lunches frequently figured Spotted Dick, Jam Roly Poly and snake & kiddly with a suet crust.
Fortunately I haven´t had to eat any of them for more than 50 years. Definitely NOT my cup of tea.