. . . or spotted dog if you want to be a little less risqué, supposedly named after a Dalmatian called Dick. Originally made with plain suet pastry and currants, it’s been titivated up a bit over the years with sugar, eggs and milk, but to make it a bit lighter, I replace half the flour with breadcrumbs. It should be shaped into a fat roll, wrapped loosely in greaseproof paper and steamed, but you can of course cook it in a well-greased basin.

(Serves 6)

120 g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
120 g fresh white breadcrumbs
90 g sugar
90 g suet
120 g mixed raisins, currants and sultanas
1 egg, beaten
Milk to mix

Have ready a large sheet of baking paper and a steamer standing over boiling water. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, sugar, suet and dried fruit. Stir in the egg and add enough milk to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Transfer the mixture to the baking paper, putting it along one long edge and leaving plenty of room either side.

Pat it into a log shape, roll it over once, just to shape it, then loosely roll the pudding up, leaving room for it to rise. Scrunch up the ends like a Christmas cracker and tie securely with string, then put the pudding into a steamer and steam for about 75 minutes.

Unroll, cut the pudding into slices and serve with custard.

Alternatively, pack the mixture into a greased one-litre pudding basin, cover with buttered greaseproof paper and foil and tie it on securely.

Steam or boil for two-and-a-half hours, but check the water level from time to time to make sure it doesn’t boil dry. Turn out on to a warm dish and serve with custard.