Scottish Black Bun

Eaten at New Year, and guaranteed to blow your head off :) My mother made an amazing black bun!

Ingredients for filling:

225g of plain flour
50g of soft brown sugar
450g of currants
450g of raisins
450g of sultanas
175g of mixed peel
50g of chopped almonds
50g of ground almonds
3 eggs
1 egg with the yolk and white separated
Buttermilk to mix
60mls of whisky or brandy
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Half teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Half teaspoon of baking soda
Half teaspoon of cream of tartar

Ingredients for Pastry Case:

225g of plain flour
125g of margarine
Pinch of salt
Cold water to mix

For the Pastry:

1.Sieve the flour and the salt.

2. Rub in the butter and then mix in the water. The dough should start to become stiff.

3. On a pastry board roll out the mixture into a thin square.

Set aside and make the black bun filling.

For the Black Bun:

1.To make the filling for Black Bun you should first grease two 2lb loaf tins or a large tin.

2. Sieve the flour and mix in the sugar, ground almonds, mixed spice, cinnamon, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, baking soda and the cream of tartar.

3. Now stir in the dried fruits of currants, raisins, sultanas, candied peel and the chopped almonds.

4. Gently fold in the beaten eggs and the buttermilk until the mixture becomes soft and moist.

5. Add the alcohol.

6. Use about two thirds of the pastry to line the tins. If the pastry has to be joined then wet these so that a good seal is formed.

7. Put the black bun mixture into the tin, on top of the pastry. Make sure it is packed firmly and then level off.

8. Brush the top of the fruit mixture with the white of the egg.


Thanks to Marie Treanor!