These fried fruity dumplings were presumably served in the dining hall of New College, Oxford. The recipe first appeared in Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife (1736) and then in Elizabeth Moxon’s English Housewifry (1764). This recipe is based on Mrs Rundell’s in A New System of Domestic Cookery (1805) and differs from the others with the inclusion of flambéed brandy.
Equipment
Weighing scales
Measuring jug
Large mixing bowl
Deep frying pan
Kitchen paper
Small roasting tin
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Place the breadcrumbs, suet, currants, mixed peel, sugar and nutmeg into the mixing bowl and combine the ingredients with your hands.
Add the beaten eggs and, again, using your hands mix into the dry ingredients until you have a stiff malleable dough.
Mould the mixture into balls, the size of golf balls.
Place the butter in the frying pan and heat until melted and starting to foam.
Place the balls in the pan and fry gently, turning them until they are golden on all sides.
Remove to a plate covered in kitchen paper.
Pour off half the frying butter and put the frying pan aside.
Place the ‘dumplings’ in the roasting tin and place in the oven for 30 minutes to allow them to cook through.
Just before you take the ‘dumplings’ out of the oven, reheat the butter in the frying pan, add the cognac and ignite. Once the flames have died down it’s ready for pouring.
Remove the ‘dumplings’ to a serving plate and pour over the hot buttery brandy sauce.
Tip: To make breadcrumbs, the best way is to place chunks of bread into a blender and whizz. You may need to turn the blender off occasionally and push the bread pieces down with a wooden spoon.
Victorian
Serves:
10
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Ingredients
500gfresh white breadcrumbs
225gvegetable suet
200gcurrants
100gcandied mixed peel
4tbspcaster sugar
1tspgrated nutmeg
4medium eggs, beaten
200gclarified butter or ghee
65mlcognac
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
New College puddings
Serving Size
141 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
562
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
33
g
51
%
Saturated Fat
17
g
106
%
Cholesterol
111
mg
37
%
Sodium
287
mg
12
%
Potassium
152
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
51
g
17
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
12
g
13
%
Protein
8.2
g
16
%
Calcium
24
mg
2
%
Iron
1.2
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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