Tropical spotted dick with coconut custard Recipe

When thinking of Great British puds, this steamed, fruit-studded underdog will automatically spring to mind. Our tropical spotted dick is a delicious modern twist and will convert any sceptics.

To give our tropical spotted dick its modern makeover, we’ve used a mix of dried cranberry, apricot and pineapple. You could also add some dried mango to the mix if you’re feeling really adventurous. We used Sweet & Tangy fruit mix from Waitrose but any combination of your favourites would work. Even the custard in this tropical spotted dick has been given a new twist.

The coconut cream adds a luxurious, indulgent finish and would also go well with our dairy-free ginger cake. And if this steamed pudding has left you wanting more, check out Mary Berry’s treacle pudding and our sticky stem ginger pudding.

Ingredients

For the tropical spotted dick

• 250g self-raising flour
• 125g vegetable suet
• 80g caster sugar
• 150g mixed dried tropical fruit
• finely grated zest 2 lime
• 150ml whole milk

For the coconut custard

• 600ml coconut cream
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 30g caster sugar
• 2tsp cornflour
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• Toasted flaked coconut, to serve
• Lime zest, to garnish

You will need

• 1x 1ltr pudding basin, greased with butter.

Method

1. To make the spotted dick, add the flour, suet, caster sugar, dried fruit and zest into a bowl and mix well. Pour in the milk and stir to make a soft dough. Tip into the basin and cover with a disc of parchment paper, tie a length of string around to secure it. Place a trivet into large lidded pan, add the basin on top and fill two-thirds with water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 1 hr with the lid on.
2. For the custard, heat coconut milk and vanilla extract together until hot. In a bowl, whisk yolks, caster sugar and cornflour together, slowly pour over the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour back into the pan, heat gently, stirring until thickened. For the pineapple, heat a griddle pan and char the wedges on both sides.
3. To serve, slice a wedge of spotted dick, place on a plate with the pineapple and pour over the custard, garnish with flaked coconut and lime zest.