This is a cheap, tasty and easy steamed pudding and it pops up in old recipe books across Britain. However, most recipes outside of Yorkshire use treacle, but this is a Wakefield variation on this, replacing treacle with currants and using breadcrumbs in equal measure to flour. Why is it called ‘Queer Times Pudding’? The original recipe doesn’t offer a reason – but see the very plausible explanations offered below in the ‘Comments’ section.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (around 4oz/113g) of breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 cup (around 4oz/113g) of flour
- 1 cup (around 4oz/113g) of currants
- 2 oz (55g) suet
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup (around 4oz/113g) of sugar
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together with a little milk.
- Put into a greased basin, cover & secure the top with foil and steam for 2 hours.
- Serve it warm with custard.
Source: Old Northern Recipes (1975) by Joan Poulson. Published by Hendon Publishing Co.
6 Responses to Queer Times Pudding
Just made this as I am having fun trying to make old recipies and it was AMAZING. The texture from the breadcrumbs! How it’s surprising light for something that risks being stodge!
Yes, I found it to be the same: surprisingly light, and a tasty dessert, either served hot or as a cold slice.
I am looking for spotted dick recipe. Could this be it. Does anyone know please.
BBC foods has a Spotted Dick recipe at https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spotted-dick Queer Times Pudding uses a significant amount of breadcrumbs, compared to Spotted Dick, which uses more suet
I think queer refers to poverty. Queer Street is used to describe people living in financial difficulty. So this pudding like spotted dick is a very basic filling meal for people short of money.
Yes Queer Street is where the bankruptcy courts are located in London