Ingredients

one and a half pounds plain flour
half a pound lard or dripping (or suet)
half a teaspoonful salt
half a teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
half a pint buttermilk
jam or fresh fruit

Method

Rub the fat into the flour and add the salt.
Dissolve the soda in the buttermilk, and pour it gradually into the flour to make a light pastry mixture.
Roll out to and oblong shape, line with fresh fruit (rhubarb, gooseberries, etc.) and fold over tightly.
Cover the dumpling with a damp cloth and tie securely at both ends.
Immerse in boiling water and boil for an hour and a half.
Slice the dumpling and serve hot with sugar, and a little cold milk if desired.

Pennant, Montgomeryshire.

Suet dumpling was prepared regularly for the mid-day meal in parts of Montgomeryshire. At one time it was general custom to give it as first course to take the edge off the appetite of the menfolk before serving them with meat and vegetables.

If fresh fruit was not available, it was possible to boil a plain dumpling which would be known as tymplen ddall (a blind dumpling). It was then served with jam or treacle.

This pudding was known as pwding berwi (boiled pudding) or pwdin siwet (suet pudding) in parts of Caernarfonshire.

Myntho, Lleyn.