[Magdalen] Cooking advice - steamed pudding

[Lynn Ronkainen]

someone in the UK might know best but I found this on Google re suet:

You can use vegetable suet, which you can purchase on Amazon. You may also 
substitute vegetable shortening, which has a similar melting point: the 
flavor and texture of a pudding will not be quite the same, but it will be 
closer than with, say, butter.  You can also use lard (rendered and 
clarified pork fat), which is close to the consistency of vegetable 
shortening.


Suet is actually rendered animal fat (not chicken)

I don't think the sugar substitution should be a problem.

Amazon sells 'grated suet' online....

Lynn, helpfully

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

"Mercy and compassion are more than personal options. They are the antidotes 
to that fear and hatred." Mark Singel


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Rick Mashburn" <ricklmashburn at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2018 4:23 PM
To: "Magdalen" <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: [Magdalen] Cooking advice - steamed pudding

> ObAng content -- Spotted Dick!
>
> Now that I have your attention, Alex and I are in a gourmet group. Our 
> next
> dinner is coming up soon and we're in charge of dessert this time around.
> Because this is a group of gay men, I just can't resist cooking Spotted
> Dick with Cream Anglaise.
>
> I've found several recipes online that call for English products such as
> suet and caster sugar. So far as I can tell, those aren't available in
> Texas. Martha Stewart has a good looking recipe that uses butter and
> regular sugar instead.
>
> My questions:
>
> - Will butter and sugar be acceptable substitutes? Or, are suet and caster
> sugar actually available here?
> - We will have to buy a pudding basin as we don't have anything that will
> substitute. There are ceramic and metal (plain and non-stick) versions --
> some with lids. Will the choice of vessel impact the final product?
> - Any other advice with making steamed puddings? We are practicing our
> recipe this weekend.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Peace, Rick