Black Bun Recipe
Ingredients
| Pastry | ||
| 350 g/12 oz flour | ||
| Salt | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| 75 g/3 oz butter | ||
| Sugar | 2 Tablespoon | |
| 2 small eggs, lightly beaten | ||
| Water | 6 Tablespoon | |
| 250 g/8 oz flour | ||
| Soda bicarbonate | 1 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| Baking powder | 1 1/2 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| 125 g/4 oz soft brown sugar | ||
| Mixed spice | 1 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/2 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| Ground ginger | 1 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| Ground mace | 1/4 Teaspoon (Filling) | |
| 350 g/12 oz sultanas | ||
| 350 g/12 oz currants | ||
| 125 g/4 oz almonds, chopped | ||
| 125 g/4 oz walnuts, chopped | ||
| 125 g/4 oz mixed candied peel, chopped | ||
| Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon | ||
| 175 ml/6 fl oz milk | ||
| Brandy | 1 Tablespoon (Filling) | |
| 1 egg, lightly beaten | ||
Directions
First make the pastry.
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and cut into small pieces, then rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
Stir in the eggs with enough of the water to bind the mixture and knead to a dough.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out just over two-thirds of the dough to a circle about 1 cm/1/2 in thick.
Use to line a deep 18 cm/7 in diameter cake tin.
Chill while you make the filling.
Sift the flour, soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the brown sugar, spices, sultanas, currants, almonds, walnuts, candied peel and lemon rind and juice.
Mix in the milk and brandy.
Spoon into the dough-lined cake tin and smooth the top.
Roll out the remaining piece of dough to a circle large enough to cover the top of the tin.
Place over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
Cut a cross in the centre of the dough top and brush with the beaten egg.
Bake in a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F or Gas Mark 6) for 15 minutes.
Cover with foil and reduce the temperature to warm (170°C/325°F or Gas Mark 3).
Continue baking for 3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre cross comes out clean.
Turn the cake out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.
Wrap in foil and leave for at least 1 week before serving.
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and cut into small pieces, then rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
Stir in the eggs with enough of the water to bind the mixture and knead to a dough.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out just over two-thirds of the dough to a circle about 1 cm/1/2 in thick.
Use to line a deep 18 cm/7 in diameter cake tin.
Chill while you make the filling.
Sift the flour, soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the brown sugar, spices, sultanas, currants, almonds, walnuts, candied peel and lemon rind and juice.
Mix in the milk and brandy.
Spoon into the dough-lined cake tin and smooth the top.
Roll out the remaining piece of dough to a circle large enough to cover the top of the tin.
Place over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
Cut a cross in the centre of the dough top and brush with the beaten egg.
Bake in a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F or Gas Mark 6) for 15 minutes.
Cover with foil and reduce the temperature to warm (170°C/325°F or Gas Mark 3).
Continue baking for 3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre cross comes out clean.
Turn the cake out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.
Wrap in foil and leave for at least 1 week before serving.
Chef
