Newfoundland Figgy Duff. A generations old tradition.
Newfoundland Figgy Duff. It has nothing to do with figs. Raisins were once referred to as figs here & are always added to this traditional steamed pudding.
Originally published December 2007, our first Holiday season online.
First for those of you reading without benefit of Newfoundland experience, Newfoundland Figgy Duff has nothing to do with figs, dried fresh or otherwise.
Raisins are historically referred to as figs in many parts of the province.
This recipe is of course a close cousin to the Blueberry Duff.
We still make it throughout the year using frozen blueberries but is especially good at the beginning of the summer blueberry season.
A recent email request and this mornings brunch prompted me to add my standard recipe for Figgy Duff.
A young lady from the southern US who is married to a Newfoundlander asked for assistance in preparing this dish.
I was reluctant to answer with a definitive recipe because I don't believe that one actually exists.
I have encountered many variations of what people call Figgy Duff here in Newfoundland. Family history and local variations of the recipe account for many differences in both opinion and experience of what Figgy Duff actually is.
It is a close cousin to the traditional English Spotted Dick where, I suspect, a part of our English and Irish heritage has survived over the centuries in this dish.
The origin of our family's Figgy Duff recipe.
This is a slight variation on my grandmother, Belinda Morgan's recipe, where I remember having it at many a Sunday dinner in her Port-de-Grave kitchen.
A similar recipe with the addition of molasses and spices I have heard referred to as Labrador Duff.
Other recipe variations I have seen include breadcrumbs, orange zest or currants but I have never attempted any of those.
To debate what is a proper Figgy Duff is to engage in the silliest of arguments.
It is futile to argue the virtues of one over the other because it is impossible to overcome the power of the inextricably entwined memories that people associate with such things.
It is much more interesting to me to explore and appreciate the differences than to debate them.
There is no right and wrong here, just differences of experience.
Figgy Duff leftovers.
One of my indulgences is to pan fry thick slices of the leftovers in butter for brunch the next day and serve it with molasses. (Time to put a cardiologist on retainer!)
A couple of British friends tell me that this is commonly done with the leftover Christmas pudding back in the UK as well.
Throw a couple of slices of the leftover Christmas ham into the pan with it and you are definitely good until supper. 😉
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Newfoundland Figgy Duff
Newfoundland Figgy Duff has nothing to do with figs; raisins were once referred to as figs here & are always added to this traditional steamed pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Sift together the flour sugar and baking powder.
- Add the raisins and toss well.
- Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla.
- Mix all together with a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed.
- Place dough into a pudding steamer or a wet heavy cotton pudding bag, tying the bag with a piece of butcher string but leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand.
- Boil for approximately 1 ½ hours.
- This is most often done in the pot with the boiled root vegetables, cabbage and salt beef included in a Jiggs Dinner but can be done in a pot on its own as well.
Notes
Note: you can substitute the sugar for ½ cup molasses and adjust the milk accordingly to form the proper consistency of the dough.
Spices like 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon allspice can also be added as variations.
Traditionally served with a roast dinner or Jiggs Dinner but also served as a dessert with a rum butter sauce.
For those who have been asking, there is an alternative to the pudding bag. You can get a pudding steamer on Amazon,
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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
8 ServingsAmount Per Serving Calories 303Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 22mgSodium 197mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 2gSugar 24gProtein 5g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
I have just taken my Figgy Duff out of the pudding steamer and it is cooling on the rack! I am very excited to sample it...but I am wondering if you have the rum butter sauce recipe to share also... I am planning on serving it tomorrow night! However, something tells me that I won't have any leftovers to fry up for breakfast on New Year's Day!
My favourite rum and butter sauce is actually the same as my caramel sauce recipe but with rum added at the endBoil together over medium heat for 5 minutes:
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1/3 cup water
Add
4 tbsp butter
And continue boiling until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and add:
½ cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
For rum and butter sauce add 1 ounce (or more) of rum or a teaspoon or two of rum flavouring.
Leftover sauce can be stored for a couple of weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.You can also use rum extract if you don't want the alcohol.
Our family has alway substituted the raisins with blueberry's. It's really, really yummy this way as well. We always serve both versions on big occasions like thanksgiving and Christmas 🙂
We used to call it Molasses Pudding because we used molasses and the spices and substituted the milk with left over strong tea or coffee, so that's another variation. Just a little note of caution, don't use dark or black strap molasses-I did it once and although it was edible- it was much too intense a flavor. I'm going to try your recipe just for a change up to see which one I prefer. Love your site btw.
Is a pudding steamer the same as a pot with holed in it for the steam to come up like steaming veggies . Or maybe it's the same as a rice steamer ?
A pudding steamer is a covered metal mold.
Can you put the wrapped dough into a veggie steamer or does it need to be submerged in liquid. Has anyone tried steaming it in diluted apple or orange juice?
Submerged. Never tried juice. Interesting idea though.
Can you use a pudding bag
That information is included in the recipe.
I made this tonight to go with supper. There was just three of us, so I halfed the recipe (and boiled it for just 50 min). Delicious! So moist. This is now my favourite raisin pudding recipe. We ate this as part of our meal, l but next time I will try making your rum sauce and serve it as desert. Thank you so much for sharing.
PS: supper was your 'Spice Rack Sage Butter Roast Chicken'... also wonderful. Will definitely will be making again.
What spices are used in Labrador duff? Cinnamon..?
Yes, plus nutmeg and maybe a touch of cloves.
I made this tonight to go with supper. There was just three of us, so I halved the recipe (and boiled it for just 50 min). Delicious! So moist. This is now my favourite raisin pudding recipe. We ate this as part of our meal, l but next time I will try making your rum sauce and serve it as desert. Thank you so much for sharing.
PS: supper was your 'Spice Rack Sage Butter Roast Chicken'... also wonderful. Will definitely be making again.
Great to hear of your successes. Glad you are enjoying the cookbook/s
Spice Rack Sage Butter Roast Chicken
That's in my first cookbook, not online. Where did you hear about it?
Where would I find the recipe for Spice Rack Sage Butter Roast Chicken. It sounds wonderful.
Thank you
Do you have my cookbooks?
Tried making Figgy Duff for the first time on Christmas Day... naturally used your recipe. It was great! The taste was perfect but due to cooking error it was a little soggy... not sure if I didn't cook it long enough or if I didn't take it out of the bag soon enough. Do you normally take it out immediately or let it cool a while in the bag? Always know to look in your books or on your site for any recipes I need! 😁
If it was soggy, it might have been cooked too long. I generally let it cool for 10 minutes the remove the bag.
Cooking figgy duff for first time this evening! Can't wait to try!!!
I add a cup of shredded apples and a cup of bread crumbs to my blueberry pudding it's delicious
Mary mentioned adding bread crumbs and shredded apple to the Blueberry Duff. Would this require significant modification? Mary? Barry? I love blueberries, love picking them just as much. You always pick on a beautiful warm day, there's so much peace and quiet, you're left alone and your only thought is getting that last berry off the bush. So therapeutic, so good for what ails ya.