A star rating of 5 out of 5. This traditional steamed Scottish pudding is made with dried fruit and spices. Wet your tea towel or cloth and baking parchment under the sugar dumpling then squeeze out the excess moisture. Put a very large pan of water on to boil with an upturned plate in the base.

Tip the breadcrumbs, flour, suet, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, spices and dried fruit in a large bowl and stir to mix. Whisk the treacle or syrup into the milk and egg using a fork until well blended then stir the mixture into the dried ingredients with the blade of a cutlery knife to make a soft dough. Dust the paper generously with sifted flour then place the dough in the centre of the cross and shape into a round with your hands. Bring the paper up round the pudding and tie at the top with string. Trim off the excess paper with scissors then wrap in the cloth and tie in the same way. Lower into the pan of simmering water, cover with a lid and boil for 3 hours until firm. Check the water level every now and then and top it up if necessary.

Tip the pudding into a colander to drain and then carefully peel off the cloth and paper. Place the pudding on an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 mins to dry it off and produce the classic skin. Serve sliced with custard, cream or ice cream and a dram of whisky if you like. This website is published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution. This page is not available You may need permission to access this page.

Look beyond acorn and butternut squash this autumn. There are over a dozen other varieties to choose from for your fall and winter recipes. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. Although called “winter squash,” the natural season of these varieties of squash and pumpkins runs from late summer to mid-winter, with some varieties available year-round. There are several to choose from, from homey acorn squash and magical Cinderella pumpkins to charmingly shaped turban squash. Winter squash have thick, tough shells that protect the sweet, rich flesh inside which makes them excellent storage vegetables.

No matter what variety of winter squash or pumpkin you choose, always pick squash that feels heavy for their size. Continue to 2 of 15 below. Over the past several years, butternut squash has become a standard ingredient on menus as the star in a creamy soup, ravioli filling, or risotto flavor. It is the sweetest winter squash with a thick, bright orange, moist flesh that hides very few seeds.