help needed for school project

[Carol]

Carol earlier:
<snip>
> > Another problem, aside from the fairly lengthy cooking and
preparation time: I'm sure that the kids could find out what "caster
sugar" is (I've forgotten--is it the same as powdered sugar?) but
where are American students going to find suet, "vegetable suet" or
otherwise? In this country, we generally use shortening, which is not
the same thing--and can't be cut into squares, as I believe one of the
recipes  requires.) 
> 
> Geoff:
> I would offer up the following:
> 
> Ingredients for Spotted Dick
> 
>     100g / 4oz Self Raising Flour <snip>

Carol:
In the U.S., we say "self-rising." just the opposite of "pay raise"
(U.S.) and "pay rise" (Britain). I wonder why? Never mind.
Unanswerable question, I'm sure.


>     A pinch of Salt
>     75g / 3oz Shredded Suet
>     75g / 3oz Fresh Breadcrumbs
>     50g / 2oz Caster Sugar
>     175g / 6oz Currants
>     Grated rind of 1 Lemon
>     Approx. 5 tbsp Milk <snip>

> In the UK, there are three grades of white sugar: granulated, caster 
> and icing. The first is for general use while the second is a fine
grade for cooking purposes - and also used with fruit such as
strawberries and the last is the finest grade.

Carol:
But in the U.S. (not counting brown sugar, sugar in the raw, or sugar
cubes for coffee and tea) we have granulated sugar and powdered
sugar--nothing in between. I guess the kids would have to use powdered
sugar.

And you haven't answered the question of what to do about suet
(shudder!). Would vegetable shortening work even though it's the
consistency of tub margarine and 

Carol earlier:
>And, besides, it would defeat the purpose of the assignment, which is
to find British recipes ("receipts" to the British, IIRC) that the
kids can prepare themselves. 

> Geoff:
> Nope, it's recipes to us. Receipts are things you are given with
your purchases to prove you bought them.

Carol:
Really? I thought that "cookery books" (cookbooks to us) were filled
with "receipts." (Merriam-Webster actually gives "recipe" as the first
definition for "receipt." Maybe I'm thinking of the nineteenth
century. I know for a fact that in Dickens's time (and Shelley's,
slightly earlier), the term "receipt" for what we would call a recipe
was in common use in England. I've read a lot of letters written by
Englishmen and -women of that period!

Carol, still somewhat revolted by the idea of suet and wondering if it
can be found in the U.S.