Traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling

by NYK Media Frugaldom

Clootie Dumpling Recipe - At long last, I have acquired my Great Granny Kerr's recipe for CLOOTIE DUMPLING! It's taken many years of asking and reminding my mum that I still didn't own a copy, so I have never attempted to make a traditional Scottish clootie dumpling for fear of it not tasting right. On 15th November 2009, I become the proud owner of that simple recipe, passed from mother to daughter through 5 generations that we know of so far, six and then seven when my own daughter attempts to make her first dumpling for her daughter to taste. This page is dedicated to the KERR'S CLOOTIE DUMPLING.

Great Granny Kerr's Clootie Dumpling recipe.

12 ozs Self raising flour
1/4 lb suet
3 large tablespoons caster sugar
3 good handfuls raisins
1 good sized tablespoon treacle
1 dessertspoon syrup
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon All Spice
1 teaspoon Ginger
Milk to mix

A cloot = large cloth or muslin square used for boiling the dumpling in - don't forget to flour the inside of it so it forms a skin.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Add enough milk to make a soft consistency (Not slobbery, though)
Wet the cloot (cloth)
Sprinkle liberally with flour
Pour the mixture into the cloot and then tie tightly with string, leaving room for mixture to expand. (In our family, everyone around at the time pats the dumpling for luck before it gets boiled!)

Place on a plate in a large pot of boiling water - keep topping it up throughout the cooking process.
Allow to boil for about 3 hours, with lid on pot.
Do not allow to dry in
Always top up using boiling water
Allow for expansion of the dumpling within the cloth.

When ready, carefully remove the dumpling from the cloth, sprinkle it with sugar and place it in pre-heated oven for about half an hour at 100 degrees, or until dumpling has formed a nice shiny skin.

Your dumpling can be served hot on it's own, with cream, with milk, with custard for pudding

Your dumpling can be served cold & sliced as cake

Your dumpling can be cooled and sliced then fried as part of breakfast

Your dumpling can be frozen for later use - IF there's enough left after the family gets at it!

Your dumpling can include chopped apples, grated carrots, chopped nuts or any combination of healthy options. Experiment, develop your own favourite version of this 'esteamed' clootie dumpling and don't forget to give www.frugaldom.com a mention if you're blogging or bragging about it.


The ingredients have been mixed (I'd to use granulated sugar) and poured onto the floured cloth ready for tying tightly.	The clootie dumpling is now going into the pot of boiling water, where it will simmer away for the next 3 to 4 hours.

3.5 hours later, the dumpling is removed from the pot, unwrapped, dusted with sugar and then ready for the oven.	Left in the oven for best part of an hour, the dumpling is ready. At this point, it would traditionally have been sat in front of the fire.

Couldn't resist slicing it hot for pudding! This is what it looks like inside and it's eaten hot or cold. You can also slice & fry it for breakfast.	New year's dinner needs a dumpling and some homemade elderflower champagne. This dumpling was toasted in front of an open fire.