Instructions: Q. Why is spotted dick called spotted dick? How did it get the name?

Spotted dick is a traditional English dessert pudding, made with suet, and usually served hot with custard. It is a heavy, sweet sponge pudding with raisins, generally formed into the shape of a log (were told experienced bakers use an old shirt sleeve to form it), and steamed for about 2 hours. Like a Dickens Christmas pudding, it can be served flaming, although often is not. It is said to be crumbly, filling, and delicious - ideal for the depths of winter.

The black raisins in the white sponge give the dish its "spotted"

appearance. We do not know any more about the etymology of the name (and we have searched long and hard), although we assume, as you surely do as well, that it was first prepared for King Richard I in the late 12 th Century, Richard II at the end of the 14 th Century, or Richard, the Earl of Cambridge or Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York in the 15 th Century. There is always a simple, straightforward explanation for things, you know; there is simply no need to let the imagination run wild.

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