Spotted Dick
Ingredients: 200g flour, 150g butter, 2-3 tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs, 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, baking powder, vanilla sugar, a large handful of raisins, grated lemon peel, milk as needed.
To prepare a delicious and unique dessert, we start by mixing all the dry ingredients, which include flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. These ingredients form the base of our rolls, and it is essential to combine them evenly to achieve a homogeneous texture. After mixing the dry ingredients well, we add the cubed butter. It should be soft to incorporate more easily into the mixture. Using our fingers or a mixer, we will knead the butter together with the dry ingredients until we obtain a composition that resembles fine crumbs.
The next step is to gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. The amount of milk may vary, but in my case, about 100 ml was used. The dough should become soft enough to be handled with hands, but not so sticky that it sticks to the fingers. Once the dough reaches the desired consistency, we prepare to turn it into rolls.
We prepare a piece of baking paper or wax paper, which we cut to the desired size. We place the dough on the edge of the paper and carefully start rolling it, forming a cylinder. It is important that the roll is tight but not too tight, to allow steam to circulate during baking. After forming the roll, we can fold the edges or tie them with string to ensure that the dough does not unravel during the cooking process.
In a large pot, we bring water to a boil and add a grill or a metal sieve, which will hold the rolls above the boiling water. We place the rolls on the grill, cover the pot with a lid, and let them steam for about 2 hours. It is essential not to lift the lid during cooking, to allow the steam to do its job.
After two hours of cooking, we carefully remove the rolls and unwrap them from the paper. We place them on a plate and cut them into slices. Once we have unwrapped the rolls, we realize their true beauty and why they are called that. The rolls are served warm, alongside a vanilla sauce. To prepare the sauce, you can use a packet of vanilla pudding, adding more milk than usual to achieve a more liquid consistency. Alternatively, you can purchase vanilla sauce from the store to simplify the process. This dessert will surely be a hit, both for the little ones and the grown-ups, providing a memorable culinary experience.
