Northern Newfoundland Cooking
by Ada J. Gillard

Figgy Duff

Old Newfoundlanders, who created their own recipes, gave this recipe to us. It can also be rolled to make molasses buns or put in a baking pan to make a molasses cake.

The word “Figgy” refers to raisins. The word “Duff” refers to a dough mixture.

3 cups bread crumbs

1 tbsp. water

1 cup raisins

½ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. each: ginger, allspice, cinnamon

3 tablespoons molasses

¼ cup melted butter

1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp. hot water

½ cup flour

Soak bread in water for a few minutes. Squeeze out water (measure without pressing down). Combine bread and raisins, sugar, salt, spices and mix with a fork. Add molasses, melted butter, and soda, which has been dissolved in hot water. Add flour and mix well. Pour into dampened cheesecloth. Cook with Jiggs’ Dinner or cover with water and steam for 2 hours.

Weather Lore: When distant hills appear to be near, rainy weather is coming.