So, I practiced. I made one pudding according to the recipe, but it did not do well, being too dense and too spicy, as well as probably other things. Given that I don't have a kitchen scale, I was also only guessing on the measurements of the flour and the bread crumbs, which made for a very unhappy Spotted Dick.
At my roommatesister's suggestion, I modified a spice cake recipe to work with the Spotted Dick instead of making it a boiled/steamed pudding, and I made that last night. I had the foresight to grease not only one large loaf pan, but two small glass tart bowls, so I made the two individual servings of Spotted Dick (modified) as well as the large elongated Spotted Dick.
Taste-test proved that my Spotted Dick was tasty (hooray for my foresight with said individual servings) so I packaged the two remaining Spotted Dicks up with aluminum foil and set them aside.
I had previously arranged with Darkside's mother that I should drop by on April Fool's Day bearing Spotted Dick to slip to her son -- she was in giggles over the plan. I arranged with my roommatesister to give me a ride to Darkside's house after she got off work. So I took the bus this afternoon, bearing my two warm firm Spotted Dicks -- one for my best friend, and the other so that his household would not accuse him of hogging all the Spotted Dick for himself, so that there would be enough Spotted Dick to go around.
I took the bus, and arrived in excellent time to meet up with my roommatesister. I fussed over minute details of my appearance, and we took back streets to Darkside's (on account of traffic and dust storm). We eventually did show up, and Darkside's mother popped out of the house as we hopped out of the car.
Sadly, Darkside was called into work for an extra shift today, to make up for someone who had to be out, and he wouldn't be home until late. I produced the Spotted Dick, and also my copy of Irresistible Forces for Darkside to borrow. I mentioned my FatherSir's suggestion of including a marker so that Darkside could make his own Spotted Dick.
There was much merriment as my roommatesister, Darkside's mother, and I discussed the trials, pitfalls, and amusements of raising boys, the public school system, being a working mother, the job market*, how even the military isn't really paying enough anymore, how the Red Cross has unethical business practices, being in the Wrong Part of Town, and ever so much more. We gossiped for at least half an hour before we had to depart. We may have passed Darkside's father coming in as we were going out.
After so much anxiety preparing for delivering the Spotted Dick to Darkside, it was an anticlimax. However, I'm sure I'll hear far too much about it from him the next time we speak...
* If anyone in the Phoenix, Arizona area has a position for an entry-level Computer Information Systems major with a bachelor's degree in same, one who shows a gift with databases, is a hard worker, is reliable, and is disinclined to enter into too much in the way of Heavy Office Politics (because role-playing and console games are so much more fun), do let me know, because I've got an ideal person for you. He's l33ter than I am...
