Black Bun Recipe
Ingredients
| Pastry | ||
| Butter/Margarine | 3/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| All purpose flour | 2 1/3 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 1/8 Teaspoon | |
| Egg yolks | 2 | |
| Cold water | 1/3 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Vegetable oil | 2 Tablespoon | |
| Cake | ||
| Butter/Margarine | 2 Tablespoon | |
| Walnuts | 1 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| All purpose flour | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Baking soda | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Cream of tartar | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Ground allspice | 1 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Ground ginger | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Ground mace | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Ground cloves | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Salt | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Raisins | 2 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| Currants | 2 Cup (16 tbs), dried | |
| Candied fruits | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Sugar | 1 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1/2 cup Scotch whisky | ||
| Buttermilk | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Egg yolk | 1 | |
| Water | 1 Tablespoon | |
Directions
1. Make pastry: Cut butter into small pieces in a large bowl; allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Work in butter until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
3. Beat yolks with water and oil. Add to the flour mixture and work into a ball. Dust the ball lightly with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour. (It can be stored in the refrigerator several days or in the freezer two or three months.)
4. Saute walnuts: Melt butter or margarine in a small skillet; add walnuts; saute 5 minutes, or until golden.
5. Make cake: Measure flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, mace, cloves, pepper and salt into a sifter. Combine raisins, currants, candied fruits, walnuts and sugar in a large bowl. Sift flour mixture over and toss until well blended. Stir in Scotch and buttermilk with a wooden spoon to form a thick paste. (If batter is too thick, add a little more buttermilk.)
6. Roll out two-thirds of the chilled pastry to a 14 x 14-inch square on a
floured pastry cloth or board. Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with pastry; let one inch hang over sides of pan. Pat dough down firmly.
7. Spoon cake batter into the lined pan and pat down firmly. Roll out the remaining pastry to a 10 x 10-inch square. Brush the overhanging edges with cold water; set pastry in place, fold over the edges, seal top and bottom together by crimping with a fork. Run a skewer right through to the bottom of the pan in four or five places. Cut pastry leaves to decorate the top. Brush the decorations with cold water to make them stick.
8. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 30 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to slow (300°) and bake two hours. Combine egg yolk and water in a cup and brush over the top of the pastry. Bake 30 minutes longer, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool in pan. Remove from pan very carefully and wrap in aluminum foil; allow to mellow at least four days.
2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Work in butter until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
3. Beat yolks with water and oil. Add to the flour mixture and work into a ball. Dust the ball lightly with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour. (It can be stored in the refrigerator several days or in the freezer two or three months.)
4. Saute walnuts: Melt butter or margarine in a small skillet; add walnuts; saute 5 minutes, or until golden.
5. Make cake: Measure flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, mace, cloves, pepper and salt into a sifter. Combine raisins, currants, candied fruits, walnuts and sugar in a large bowl. Sift flour mixture over and toss until well blended. Stir in Scotch and buttermilk with a wooden spoon to form a thick paste. (If batter is too thick, add a little more buttermilk.)
6. Roll out two-thirds of the chilled pastry to a 14 x 14-inch square on a
floured pastry cloth or board. Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with pastry; let one inch hang over sides of pan. Pat dough down firmly.
7. Spoon cake batter into the lined pan and pat down firmly. Roll out the remaining pastry to a 10 x 10-inch square. Brush the overhanging edges with cold water; set pastry in place, fold over the edges, seal top and bottom together by crimping with a fork. Run a skewer right through to the bottom of the pan in four or five places. Cut pastry leaves to decorate the top. Brush the decorations with cold water to make them stick.
8. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 30 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to slow (300°) and bake two hours. Combine egg yolk and water in a cup and brush over the top of the pastry. Bake 30 minutes longer, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool in pan. Remove from pan very carefully and wrap in aluminum foil; allow to mellow at least four days.
Chef
