Nine things in the cupboard, and what each of them is actually for
Nine things in the cupboard, and what each of them is actually for — suet, treacle, muscovado, vine fruit and the rest.
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Dried Vine Fruit, and Why It Went Up in 2024
The three fruits that form the backbone of a Christmas pudding are not interchangeable — and in 2024, every one of them cost more than it had the year before.
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Shredded Suet, Against Butter
The fat in a steamed pudding is not a background note. It determines what the crumb does.
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Dark Muscovado, Damp on Purpose, and One Spoon of Black Treacle
Two sugars that do different work — and why getting their ratio right changes the character of the finished pudding.
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Self-Raising Against Plain, and What Breadcrumbs Are Doing in There
In a steamed pudding batter, flour and breadcrumbs are not interchangeable fillers — each does a different job, and the raising agent question follows from understanding which job is which.