INGREDIENTS
500 g (4 cups) cake flour
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cloves
5 ml (1 tsp) ginger spice
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
7,5 ml (1½ tsp) mixed herbs
2,5 ml (½ tsp) salt
250 g (½ block) CLOVER Mooi River butter
375 ml (1½ cups) sugar
4 eggs
25 ml (5 tsp) fine apricot jam
25 ml (5 tsp) golden syrup
250 ml (1 cup) CLOVER full cream milk
15 ml (1 tbsp) baking soda
250 ml (1 cup) yellow sultanas
250 ml (1 cup) currants
250 ml (1 cup) seedless raisins
600 ml dates
125 ml (½ cup) pecan nuts, chopped
250 ml (1 cup) red glazed cherries
50 ml water
30 ml (2 tbsp) brandy
20 cm x 48 cm-sized muslin cloth
piece of string with which to bind it
BRANDY SAUCE
25 ml (5 tsp) CLOVER Mooi River butter
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
25 ml (5 tsp) brandy
2 eggs, separated
125 ml (½ cup) CLOVER full cream milk
Method
Sift the flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt together.
Use an electric mixer and cream the butter and sugar until it is light yellow in colour.
Add the eggs one by one and mix well after adding each one.
Stir the apricot jam and the golden syrup into the butter mixture.
Add the baking soda to the milk and stir it into the butter mixture.
Stir the dried fruit, nuts, cherries and the flour mixture together.
Stir the mixture and add the water and brandy to the butter mixture to form a dough.
Fold the muslin cloth in half. Sew the long and one short side to form a rectangular sleeve. Moisten the muslin cloth.
Spoon the dough into the the muslin cloth. Close up the muslin cloth, but leave enough space for the pudding to rise. Use a piece of string and fasten the opening.
Put an old plate upside down in a pot of boiling water.
Place the pudding that has been tied up onto that plate. Make sure the pot has enough water to cover the pudding. Cover the pot with the lid.
Boil for 4 to 4½ hours until done. Make sure that the pudding is covered with water throughout.
Take the pudding out of the pot and let it cool.
Take the muslin cloth off and place the pudding on a serving plate.
BRANDY SAUCE
Put both the butter and sugar in a double cooker and heat. Stir frequently until the sugar has been dissolved.
Also stir in the brandy.
Mix the egg yolks and the milk well. Stir it into the sugar mixture in the double cooker. Boil until it thickens. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg whites until they stiffen and fold it into the brandy mixture.
Serve the brandy sauce with the Spotted Dick pudding.
CLOVER INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE