Step 1

Take your large mixing bowl and add the flour, oatmeal, suet or butter, sugar, spices, currants, sultanas/raisins, baking powder, and bicarb. Mix together.

Step 2

In another bowl or jug, mix the treacle, eggs and milk.

Step 3

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just enough to bring it all together. Set aside.

Step 4

Take your Clootie Dumpling cloth or "Cloot" and put it in the colander in the sink. Pour boiling water over the cloot, covering it thoroughly. Wait for it to cool enough to handle and squeeze out any excess water and place the cloth on a clean surface. Do watch your fingers!

Step 5

Once your cloot is laid out sprinkle the entire surface of your cloot with a thin and even layer of flour. You can shake off any excess carefully into the sink.

Step 6

Your aim, once the cloot is tightly tied, is to have the floured cloot touch the whole surface of the dumpling, transferring the flour from the cloth to the pudding. This creates a thin layer of flour over the entire dumpling mix that will form a tasty skin and hold the moisture in.

Step 7

Top Tip: Go easy on the flour! Too much loose flour on the cloot at this stage will not stick to the mix or the cloth and create build-ups as it falls down. These taste hard and floury and ruin the thin skin you're trying to create so make sure the layer is nice and even.

Step 8

Place the cloth in a bowl carefully so as not to disturb the flour on it and tip the mixture into the centre.

Step 9

Cut a long piece of string, roughly half a metre in length.

Step 10

Draw up the corners and edges of the cloot together to the top of the dumpling, making sure the floured cloot touches the whole surface of the dumpling.

Step 11

Take your string and tie your cloth's edges and corners together tightly, roughly in the centre of the length of the string. You want to leave a little space between the top of the dumpling and your knot to allow the pudding to expand.

Step 12

Place a small plate in the base of your pot; this should be able to withstand heat. It stops your dumpling from resting on the bottom of the pot.

Step 13

Carefully lift your newly tied clootie dumpling and place it into your pot. We kept the extra length of string to enable you to tie your dumpling to any panhandles on either side you may have, this helps keep it in place and submerged in water.

Step 14

Tip boiling water over your dumpling until it is just submerged. Your dumpling may float a little, this is perfectly fine, but it should be underwater. Turn the heat on, bringing the water to a simmer.

Step 15

Place the lid of your pan on at a slight angle allowing for steam to escape and set the heat to keep the water gently simmering. Our gas is really quite hot even at its lowest setting so we had to top the water up a couple of times. If the dumpling expands too much, like ours did, place a wooden spoon under the lid to keep it under control and under the water.

Step 16

Leave to simmer for 3 hours. The water level should cover the top of your dumpling at all times so do add more boiling water to make sure it's completely covered if required during the cooking time.

Step 17

Once your dumpling is cooked, take your colander and place it in your sink. Carefully take your dumpling out of the pot and place it in the colander allowing any excess water to drain off. Make sure you don't move the cloth from the surface of the dumpling at this stage as you may rip the skin.

Step 18

Preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F, approx gas mark 4.

Step 19

Once drained, pick up the clootie dumpling by the knot and put it on a large chopping board or clean heat-proof surface. Using a sharp knife or scissors cut the string at the top of the cloot.

Step 20

Very carefully peel back the cloot from the dumpling. it is crucial at this stage that you don't remove the skin formed by the flour. We used the back of a spoon to help keep the skin attached to the dumpling and not the cloot as it's peeled back. It's a slow job and there is no rush but the dream is a dumpling at is completely covered in its newfound skin. The skin may look white and almost fatty but this will darken once placed in the oven and taste great.

Step 21

Once the cloot is removed, allow it to sit for another 5-10 minutes before placing your dumpling on your baking tray and pop it into the oven for 5 -10mins or until the skin has darkened.

Step 22

Serve with custard or cream!