BLACK BUNS RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups flour and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle cold water evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; chill.
• Divide dough into 3 portions. Combine 2 portions of pastry and roll to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured board; fit into a greased 9- x 5- x 3-inch loaf pan.
• Combine raisins, currants, and almonds in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Combine remaining 2 cups flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking powder, spices, and pepper; mix well. Add to raisin mixture, stirring well. Add milk and brandy; stirring well. Spoon filling into prepared pastry-lined loaf pan.
• Roll remaining pastry to 1/8- inch thickness; carefully place over filling, leaving a 1-inch overhang around edge of loaf pan. Seal edges and flute; cut slits in top. Brush with egg.
• Bake at 225° for 3 hours or until lightly browned. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place on a wire rack, and let cool completely

Steps:

• "Grease an 8-inch loaf tin. Rub the fats into the flour and salt and then mix in enough cold water to make a stiff dough which will be used to line the tin. Roll out the pastry and cut into six pieces sized to fit the bottom, top and four sides of the tin as a rough guide. Press the bottom and four side pieces into the tin, pressing the overlaps to seal the pastry shell. Mix the raisins, currants, almonds, peel and sugar together. Sift in the flour, add all the spices and baking powder, then bind them together using the brandy and most of the egg. Adding enough milk to moisten. Place all the filling into the lined tin finally adding the pastry lid, pinching the edges and using milk or egg to seal really well. Lightly prick the surface with a fork and make four holes to the bottom of the tin with a skewer. Brush the top with milk or the rest of the egg to create a glaze. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325F/160C/Gas Mark 3 for 2? to 3 hours. Test with a skewer which should come out clean; if not, continue cooking. Cool in the tin and then turn onto a wire rack. Cool thoroughly before storing until Hogmanay"