The origins of the clootie dumpling, that much-loved Scottish pudding, are vague.
A plainer version of plum puddings or Christmas puddings, they are believed to date back to medieval times and in the 17th century, there was a popular tradition of hiding charms, tuppences or thruppenny bits inside them for good luck. The “clootie” part of the name comes from the Scots word for cloth, which refers to the cloth in which the pudding was wrapped while steamed. Scottish weans (children) have often been sternly warned: “Never cast a cloot, ‘til May’s oot,” which loosely translates as ‘stay wrapped up warm until it is summer.’
Normally eaten in the winter months, there are no hard
