Scotch Currant Bun

Ingredients

• 2 pounds flour
• ½ pound butter
• 1 pound raisins
• 1 pound currants
• 1 pound soft sugar
• 1 ounce cinnamon
• 1 ounce allspice
• grated yellow rind of 1 lemon
• ½ pound candied orange peel
• ½ pound candied lemon peel
• ½ pound blanched and chopped almonds
• ½ ounce ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• warm water

Directions

The book gives no oven temperature. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.

1. Add a little salt to the flour and mix with yeast and warm water as for bread. Set in a warm place to rise.

2. When risen, work in the slightly warmed butter and let rise again for 1 hour.

3. Prepare the fruits in advance and warm them slightly when the dough is ready.

4. Mix the sugar, spices, salt, pepper, and lemon peel together and work into the dough.

5. Keep the dough warm by the fire.

6. Butter the baking tins and heat them.

7. Take out about ⅓ of the dough, mix it well with the fruit until smooth.

8. Roll out the remaining dough very thin and line the pans with it, keeping a piece to cover with.

9. Fill the lined pans with the mixture about ⅔ full, smooth it over, wet the edges of the paste lining, and put on the thinly rolled covers.

10. Brush the top with beaten eggs, prick it with a fork, and pierce with a skewer in several places down to the bottom of the tins.

11. Let the buns stand to rise again for 1 hour, then bake in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 2 to 3 hours.