[Sca-cooks] Two Spotted Dogs and a Spotted Pup recipes

[Pat Griffin]

Found these three recipes in a very cursory google.
First, from Ireland:
Spotted Dog   
This recipe and text is re-printed from Darina Allen's Festive Food of
Ireland.

This is the traditional Irish fruit bread, also called Sweet Cake, Curnie
Cake, Spotted Dick or Railway Cake depending on the area. 

4 C plain white flour 
2 teaspoons sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 C raisins, currants or sultanas 
1 1/2 C milk or buttermilk 
1 egg (optional, you will not need all the milk if you use the egg) 

 1. Sift the dry ingredients, add the fruit and mix well. 

2. Make a well in the center and add the egg if you are using it, and most
of the milk. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl,
adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish but not too wet
and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board and
knead lightly for a few seconds - just long to tidy it up.

3. Pat the dough into a round about 1 1/2 inches deep and cut a deep cross
in it (to let the faeries out!). Let the cuts go over the sides of the
bread. 

4. Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 15 minutes, then turn the oven
down to 400 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes or until cooked. If
you are in doubt, tap the bottom: it will sound hollow when cooked. 

5. Serve freshly baked, cut into thick slices and spread with butter. 
  
 C2005 FabulousFoods.com
......................................................................

Then, from England:

>From http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/22388/
Spotted Dog
Ingredients & Directions
8 oz Self-raising flour 
1 pn Salt 
4 oz Shredded suet 
1 oz Sugar 
8 oz Currants or raisins 
150 ml Cold water 
Stir together the flour, salt, sugar, suet and dried fruit. Mix to a firm
dough with water. Form into a cylinder about 8 inches long, and put on a
pudding cloth that has been wrung out in boiling water and sprinkled with
flour. Roll the pudding in the cloth and tie the ends tightly, but leave
room for expansion. Put into a pan of boiling water, cover, and boil for 2
hours, adding more boiling water if necessary to prevent boiling dry. Turn
the pudding onto a hot dish and serve with custard. 

ENGLISH PUDDINGS SWEET & SAVORY, Mary Norwalk, Sphere Books UK, 1984, L2.95:
ISBN 0-7221-6471-8.
............................................................................

Finally, from the US:

  
>From http://www.recipestogo.com/cowboy/cowboy74.html

Spotted Pup (Cowboy Pudding)
The cowboys called it "Spotted Pup" 'cuz it matched their pup's complexions.

This is an authentic trail drive recipe as it requires no eggs. Chuck wagon
cooks seldom saw eggs. Most chuck wagons carried no sugar and Sorghum syrup
(one cup) was used instead of sugar. If Sorghum is used use one cup less of
the milk. Milk also was a rarity on chuck wagons - so this recipe was
usually made with canned milk. This is a great recipe for packing in if
using canned milk-all ingredients will fit into the Dutch oven while packing
it in. Sometimes dried apples and raisins are used together and rum or
whiskey could be added. This makes a good pudding with any dried fruit. If
any alcohol is added, add it after recipe has already thickened.

2 cups granulated sugar 
2 cups white rice 
3 quarts milk or canned milk equivalent 
1 pound raisins or other dried fruit 
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Put your Dutch oven on the table and throw in two cups of rice Then throw in
2 cups of sugar and mix it up real nice. Next comes the milk - if you have
some, put 3 quarts in your pot or get Carnation "Cow in a Can." On the trail
milk can't be bought. Hang your pot over the fire to simmer nice and slow.
Your milk will tend to boil over if you hang your pot too low. Give your
puddin' some time to work, an hour to get thick. For flavor stir in the
nutmeg, agitate well and the bottom won't stick. Slowly add the raisins,
stirring them in as you proceed This will help your "Spotted Pup" thicken,
right now that's what it needs. Hang it higher over the fire and the rice
will continue to swell. Stand your spoon up in the mess, 'cuz that's how you
can tell If your "Spotted Pup" is thick enough or if it still needs heat.
Just keep stirrin' occasionally and soon it'll be ready to eat.


Mordonna